this is where I work

HEY THERE!

I'm a writer, developer, and lifelong learner now leaning into the joy of writing fiction, coding personal projects, slow travel, good books, and even better meals. This site began as a portfolio of my professional work, but like me, it's evolving.

LATEST POSTS

Distractions

Distractions

Mar 2, 2026

This idea for book 3 just took over my best working hours, and I had to get it out of my head right then and there, or i...

Another Friday Night

Another Friday Night

Feb 28, 2026

It’s hard to sustain outrage when everything demands outrage. Eventually, it stops feeling like alarm and starts feeli...

A Waiting Room

A Waiting Room

Feb 27, 2026

I’m still drafting. I don’t control the timeline. Nothing is guaranteed. But somewhere in town, there’s a room ...

On Large Canvases

On Large Canvases

Feb 26, 2026

A painter once told me she never begins with the large canvas. She sketches, studies, steps away, and only later commits...

On Building a Platform (Reluctantly)

On Building a Platform (Reluctantly)

Feb 26, 2026

To be taken seriously as a writer, I’m told I need a platform. This is awkward, since I love writing but feel consider...

SOME RECENT PROJECTS:

Smarter Writer

Organize your manuscripts, manage your writing projects, and streamline your publishing workflow

Recipe Book

A lightweight recipe book designed for simplicity, portability, and speed

Mutual Fund Tracker

Let's track our retirement fund without panicking (too much)

House.Diary

A homeowner's record book for maintenance, upgrades, insurance and memories

PublishersArchive.com

A comprehensive directory of publishers, literary awards, and book festivals.

SHORT FICTION

The Tea Shop of Memories
Status: Outline

A mysterious teashop appears...

Lotus Summer
Status: Submitted

13-year-old Ellie Finch faces a challenging summer as her mother undergoes treatment at the hospital, requiring Ellie to stay with her Aunt. Throughout the summer, Ellie learns to cope with her mother’s illness, discovers new skills with a computer, and learns what the resilience of a lotus really means.

Tuesdays at Three
Status: Outline

An agoraphobic television critic accidentally becomes a celebrated relationship advice columnist by eavesdropping on his next-door neighbor's couples therapy sessions through his apartment's paper-thin walls.

Abel's Hollow
Status: Submitted

A war‑damaged librarian secretly runs a refuge for broken men during Prohibition, only to be destroyed by the criminal world he never meant to touch.

THE ELLANORE FINCH COZY MYSTERIES

The Ellanore Finch Mysteries follow the adventures of Ellanore Finch, a sharp‑witted, quietly formidable woman living in the small Ontario town of Strathbridge. Though not a detective by trade, Ellanore has an uncanny talent for noticing what others overlook, and this talent repeatedly pulls her into the heart of the town’s most unusual problems. Part community anchor, part reluctant sleuth, Ellanore navigates mysteries rooted in local history, forgotten archives, and long‑buried secrets.

Cover of Booked for Murder

Booked for Murder

After taking early retirement from her career as an actuary, Ellanore Finch moves to the picturesque town of Strathbridge, Ontario, hoping to find purpose in the next chapter of her life. But when she stumbles upon the body of the town's beloved children's author, her plans unravel. Armed with sharp logic and a knack for uncovering patterns, Ellanore dives into a web of small-town secrets and simmering rivalries to catch a killer before they strike again.

Status: Structural Edit 55,743 words The Ellanore Finch Mysteries
Cover of Spirits in the Sky

Spirits in the Sky

In the quiet town of Strathbridge, history is good for business. But secrets hidden for too long can lead to perilous outcomes. When a hidden World War I aviator’s jacket and a century‑overdue library book are uncovered by a student she's been mentoring, retired actuary and amateur sleuth Ellanore Finch will need to unravel a mystery that ties prohibition-era rum‑running, buried secrets, and present‑day greed together in a murderous combination.

Status: Draft 16,890 words The Ellanore Finch Mysteries
Cover of Glazed and Confused

Glazed and Confused

When The Wheel Deal brings its pottery competition to the edge of Strathbridge, Ellanore Finch is thrilled for Julian Vale, until his studio is vandalized, and a judge is found dead on the set. With Julian’s past legal trouble making him the police’s prime suspect, Ellanore trusts her instincts over their assumptions. To clear Julian’s name, Ellanore must uncover the truth hidden beneath layers of clay and glaze before the real killer strikes again.

Status: Outline 0 words The Ellanore Finch Mysteries
Cover of Reel Trouble

Reel Trouble

Ellanore Finch is good at solving problems. People make choices. Choices have consequences. The numbers add up. Her previous career as an actuary has made her an expert at understanding those numbers. When a major animation studio announces plans to adapt a late children’s author’s beloved Strathbridge stories, carefully laid plans are thrown into turmoil. The studio wants changes: a new setting, edgier storylines, broader appeal. Ellanore knows what that means. The town, the very heart of the books, could be erased.

Status: Outline 0 words The Ellanore Finch Mysteries

Let's Connect!

Whether you're interested in collaborating on a project or just want to chat about books, I'd love to hear from you.

Get in Touch