I wrote my first poems as a class assignment in second grade. Just for fun, I entered one of those poems, unedited, to a recent local poetry contest last year. It was awarded Third Place. To me, that's a sign that poetry is born within us, grows with us, and can grant us both guidance and exploration. As a single parent, my work life took me deep into the business world, where I planned marketing strategies, created advertising and public relations campaigns in all media, edited magazines, and served as consulting editor to publication staff.  My clients included: banks, hospitals and clinics, manufacturers, direct marketing companies, and nonprofit organizations. I also work as a translator, Spanish to English, English to Spanish. I provide editing, copy editing, proofing, and writing original content in English and Spanish. My feature articles have appeared in both languages in 40+ publications in the US, Latin America, and Spain.

I've won numerous awards for my work in both business and the literary arts, including Best Poem from the National Federation of Press Women, Finalist for the Pablo Neruda Award, Nimrod, Best Book Editing, and Best Book Design from Press Women of Texas. I've also helped people write the ultimate document, sometimes under pressure--an obituary. Through all of this, I've been a passionate photographer. Some of my images are on Instagram, @poetysa.

As it has for a few decades, my work currently includes marketing and PR services, editing, copy editing, developmental editing, and proofing. I offer customized, affordable marketing plans for authors that include approaches to social media. I continue to edit books, with a special interest in poetry collections. I'm active in doing and editing translations--from scratch or as translation editor after an AI translation is "complete."

I earned a BA degree in Humanities from Southwestern University, Summa Cum Laude.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Writing is good. Thinking is better. Cleverness is good. Patience is better."
Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

"Writing means discovering a world."  Ionesco

"For love is stronger than death." Song of Solomon 8:8