They don’t move.They don’t sparkle.They aren’t beautiful—not in the obvious ways.But I can’t stop looking at them. Barnacles. Clustered like secrets on the undersides of docks. Crusted onto the backs of sea turtles. Clinging to driftwood, crab traps, and hulls like old, stubborn thoughts. I’ve scraped them off boats, stepped on them accidentally (and regretted … Read more
I’m thrilled (and still a little stunned) to announce that my novel What Pulls Us Under has been named the WINNER of the 2025 Winter Novel Competition, hosted by New2theScene! Out of a remarkably strong field of submissions, the judges selected my manuscript for its “compelling narrative voice, rich character development, and potential to be … Read more
Florida’s beaches and backroads hold more than beauty—they hold stories. And for writers, these stories bubble up from the land itself. Abandoned hotels, drowned towns, pirate legends, roadside tabernacles, and oyster shell mounds—it’s all here, just waiting to be turned into fiction.Every rusted sign and weather-beaten boardwalk has a memory baked into it.There are whispers … Read more
Nature isn’t neutral. The swamp has moods—sometimes breathless and waiting, sometimes thick with secrets. The sky carries warnings in the curl of a cloud or the hush before a storm. Trees don’t just provide shade—they lean and whisper, they bear witness. They’ve seen generations pass beneath their branches. I write these spaces the way I … Read more
Florida is more than just sunshine and seashells. It’s also hurricanes and hiding places. To the outsider, Florida might seem all pastel sunsets and tourist-packed boardwalks—but as anyone who’s truly lived here knows, the real Florida hides in the hush between storms, in the stillness of a mangrove tangle, in the ghost-gray light of a … Read more
Beneath the rolling tides of Florida’s coastal waters, scattered like celestial bodies in the sand, lie the sea stars—more commonly known as starfish. Despite their name, they aren’t fish at all but echinoderms, close relatives of sea urchins and sand dollars. With their slow, deliberate movements and striking symmetry, sea stars have captivated seafarers and … Read more
The waters surrounding Florida have long been known as a graveyard for ships. From Spanish galleons loaded with treasure to forgotten merchant vessels swallowed by storms, the ocean holds stories of adventure, tragedy, and mystery—many still waiting to be discovered. As a writer, I can’t help but be drawn to these lost histories, imagining the … Read more
I’m thrilled to share that my short story Salt, Then Silence was shortlisted in the latest Reedsy writing contest! While I didn’t take home the win this time, being recognized among so many talented writers is an honor. This story holds a special place in my heart, and knowing it resonated with the judges gives … Read more
Some places never leave you. They settle deep in your bones, shaping the way you move through the world. For me, that place has always been the water. I was born in Key West, the daughter of a Navy man, and the ocean was my first home before I even knew how to name it. … Read more
There’s something mesmerizing about the way the ocean breathes—the tide retreating to unveil a hidden world, then surging forward to reshape everything in its path. I’ve walked those shores, watching the water withdraw, leaving behind shells, forgotten relics, and scars carved into the sand. It’s a quiet magic, this rhythm of ebb and flow, and … Read more