Places Nurture Creativity

Thank you for visiting my website. Just to get us started, I’d like to write a little about where I’ve lived for the last twenty-five years because it’s truly a place of inspiration.

My valley dips from the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The section I get to enjoy divides northern Nevada from northern California, with Lake Tahoe in between.

I live at over 5,000 feet in elevation, but it’s a nice sunny, arid climate with just about perfect weather year around, even when it snows, though my husband often disagrees with that outlook. It allows us to live in the country but puts us close between urban conveniences.

I have lived and explored many of the back highways along the Sierras and Cascades, having been born under the shadow of one of the most dominant volcanic mountains along the Pacific rim, Mt. Shasta.

The diversity of life, abundant beauty, and being blessed to live in the middle of it, has truly been inspiring, playing a huge role in the settings for my stories.

All photos on this page are my own (except for the awesome bear, that’s my Uncle’s).

More of Northern Nevada and California

I had such a grand time immersed in my story settings tucked into the Sierras and beyond to the Cascades. I grew up under the shadow of Mount Shasta and I’m not surprised I ended up living so many years in the shadow of another majestic mountain that I can see from my front yard, Mt. Rose. I thought I would share some of my favorite photos to illustrate what you will discover when you read my stories in The Starlight Chronicles.

Lake Tahoe, Nevada side

We used to have a small fishing boat we braved on the giant lake. So many great trips. The middle row is Vikings Holm, Emerald Bay. The bottom row is Camp Galilee, South Lake.

Truckee, Grass Valley, and Placerville, CA

Yosemite National Park, CA

Pyramid Lake, NV

This was another long past trip with our fishing boat when you could explore the eastern side of the ancient lake.

Genoa, NV

Burney Falls and McCloud, CA

I have travelled through and past Burney Falls and McCloud all my life, but never stopped for a visit until 2021 when I stayed in a charming bed and breakfast in McCloud. I highly recommend a visit if you ever traverse Highway 89. It’s where I started my novel writing journey in 2021.

Washoe Lake State Park, NV

I had to include more from the amazing valley that has been my home for two decades.