Every Story Starts Somewhere
From childhood onward, I've always felt a need to know more—to see more, explore more, and understand more.
From a dynamic, adventurous, and at times magical childhood to a fascination with the stars and worlds beyond our own... from a career built around storytelling to years spent moving, traveling, and discovering incredible places and people... I've come to realize that curiosity has quietly guided every chapter of my life. Along the way, my imagination began creating worlds of its own—places filled with adventure, wonder, and opportunities to share meaningful life lessons. Pointed West is where all of those paths finally came together. It is my hope that these stories inspire children to explore, imagine, and grow with confidence; help families create lasting memories together; and give teachers engaging tools that make learning feel like an adventure.
The Journey
Pointed West
How Everything Came Together
Discovery. Adventure. Storytelling. Growth.
These aren't simply things I love, they are the threads that have quietly woven themselves through every chapter of my life. For years they lived inside notebooks filled with ideas, sketches, dreams, and stories waiting for the right moment. Pointed West became the place where all of those paths finally met. It's more than a publishing company. It's a home for imagination, curiosity, kindness, and the belief that stories can help us better understand both the world around us and ourselves. Thank you for joining me as these worlds begin to come to life.
What I've Learned
To Everyone Who Helped Me Get Here
Pointed West may have begun with an idea in a notebook, but it has been shaped by countless people throughout my life. Family who encouraged me. Friends who believed in me. Teachers who inspired me. Children who reminded me how magical curiosity can be. Artists who shared their talents. Organizations that showed me the power of community. Every adventure, every lesson, every challenge, and every act of kindness became part of this story. If you've ever encouraged me, believed in me, laughed with me, cried with me, or helped me keep moving forward... Thank you. I truly wouldn't be here without you.
Reading My Favorite Story
One of my favorite memories from my radio career came when I was invited to visit a local first-grade classroom. I brought along my favorite book from first grade, The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, and read it to the class. We laughed together, acted out parts of the story, and afterwards the students asked wonderful questions about books, imagination, and storytelling. Walking out of that classroom, I remember thinking... This is fun. Years later, looking back, I realize moments like that were quietly preparing me for Pointed West long before I knew it existed.
Why Pointed West Exists
Pointed West exists because I believe stories are one of the most powerful ways we learn who we are.
A great story can:
spark curiosity.
Build confidence.
Encourage kindness.
Help a child fall in love with reading.
Bring families together.
Make someone laugh after a difficult day.
Or remind us that even after life's hardest chapters, hope is always worth believing in. Every world I create is built around that idea.
Whether we're exploring deserts with Sandy, traveling the globe with Scooter and Pumpkin, earning a rainbow horn with Jane, or discovering entirely new worlds still waiting to be written, every story begins with the same hope:
Leave people just a little happier, a little kinder, and a little more curious than they were before they opened the first page.
Stories That Give Back
Giving back has been woven into my life since childhood. Through volunteering, community involvement, fundraising, and nonprofit partnerships, I've seen firsthand how compassion and creativity can change lives. While I am deeply passionate about creating these characters, stories, and worlds, I'm equally excited by the opportunity to use them to give back. My hope is that every Pointed West series will support an organization whose mission reflects the heart of that world; helping children, families, animals, and communities along the way.
Explore the World
Supporting Children's Miracle Network
Children's Miracle Network reminded me that some of life's greatest heroes are children. Through two annual radiothons and weekly volunteer work at Tucson Medical Center, I had the privilege of reading with children, playing games, comforting families, holding babies, and simply showing up wherever I was needed. Monday quickly became my favorite day of the week. I was continually amazed by the strength, courage, and joy these children carried even during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Those experiences forever changed me. Today, a portion of proceeds from the Explore the World series will help support Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, continuing the joy they share throughout hospitals around the country.
Scooter and Pumpkin
Supporting animal shelters &
pet adoption organizations
Growing up, dogs were always part of my family, and when I moved to Anchorage I began volunteering each week at a local animal shelter; walking dogs, playing with them, and wishing I could bring every one of them home. A few years later, while working in radio in Southern Oregon, the local Humane Society visited our station each week with an adoptable pet. Then one unforgettable morning, this sweet girl made the decision herself. She slipped out of her leash, ran past everyone in the studio, jumped into my lap, and kissed my cheek. About a minute later we went live on the air, and the very first thing I said was: "I'm sorry... this dog is no longer available." I signed the adoption papers that afternoon. She chose me that morning, and for the next fourteen years she reminded me every single day just how much one animal can change a life.
Photo: The day I brought Ani (Pumpkin) home.
Jane the Unicorn
Supporting St. Jude Children's Hospital
Before Children's Miracle Network, I spent two years helping lead our station's annual St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Radiothon while working in Boise. Because our station was short-staffed, I became the primary live host for the two-day event sharing patient stories, interviewing families, encouraging donations, and helping listeners understand the extraordinary work happening inside St. Jude. For hours at a time, those broadcasts weren't simply about fundraising. They were about hope. Hearing parents describe the moment they realized their child would receive world-class treatment regardless of their ability to pay changed the way I looked at generosity forever. Those two radiothons went on to raise record-breaking donations, but what stayed with me wasn't the total. It was the children. Their courage, their resilience, and the reminder that kindness, shared by thousands of complete strangers, can truly change lives. That lesson continues to shape every story I create today.
The Impact Still Ahead
Supporting organizations protecting nature and animals and non-profits helping women rebuild after abuse.
Butterflies begin as something entirely different before transforming into what they were always meant to become. To me, that journey represents hope, growth, curiosity, resilience, and the courage to keep becoming. Those same ideas are woven into every Pointed West story. The butterfly isn't just my logo. It's a reminder that beautiful things often begin with small, quiet transformations.
Why a Butterfly?
Looking Ahead
The worlds you're seeing today are only the beginning.
More adventures.
More lessons.
More characters.
More stories.
More opportunities to give back.
I can't wait to share them with you.
NATURE🌿CURIOSITY💜KINDNESS🦋 GROWTH
