About Me

Nothing is more important to me than my roles as wife and mother of two children, one boy and one girl.  I am also a stay-at-home mom, so working on my manuscripts usually involves frequent breaks to stop fights, throw in another load of laundry, etc.  It keeps things entertaining.

I am a graduate of Michigan State University, where I majored in French and minored in English.  I still have vivid nightmares about reading philosophy in French, but I love speaking the language.  I started out as a journalism major because I figured that was the only way I could make a living as a writer.  Unfortunately, I came to see that I just didn't have a knack for it.  I loved my years at MSU and am a Spartan through and through.  I bleed green, baby!  I never cease to get nostalgic when I go back to visit or attend football games.

I have loved books and writing all my life.  When I was a kid, I had notebooks everywhere, and I was constantly writing little stories.  I also spent a lot of quality time at the library--a place I still love to go--and was known to check out stacks of books and then beg my mom to take me back for more a week or so later.  My imagination has always served me well, and my sincere wish is for everyone to have as rich a universe inside their skulls as I do.

I'm also a former teacher, a profession that I loved--when I was in the classroom and working with students.  As for the outside stuff (such as the lack of respect for the profession), well, I didn't like that so much.  However, I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with many young people, and I have a healthy respect for the mind of a teenager.  I was floored on a day-to-day basis by what deep, wonderful human beings my students were.  Sometimes, I really miss the joy of being in the classroom and watching as the switch was flipped in their brains and they suddenly knew how to do something they were convinced they couldn't do.  One thing is for certain, teaching has intrinsic rewards the likes of which I've never known outside of my teaching job.

My absolute favorite thing to do (besides reading, of course) is travel.  I've been to many parts of the U.S. and have visited multiple countries.  There are certain places that I absolutely love, such as Paris, Toronto, Maui, and Bruges, Belgium.  I love the thrill of being in new places, trying new things, and learning about new cultures.  If I had unlimited disposable income, I would travel all over the world.

My other real obsession is cooking, though I didn't really fall in love with it until I was about thirty.  I used to be all about convenience food, but now I love leafing through my Cooking Light and figuring out which exotic dishes to try.  As a reformed picky eater, I try to be adventurous and have come to love some very delicious things that I once thought were very gross--like escargot.  Also, I like freaking people out by telling them I love escargot.

I love e-mail from readers as your feedback truly helps me grow and evolve as a writer.  Feel free to drop me a line at nicolecbooks@gmail.com