I grew up in Oak Harbor, Washington – the only girl in a family of six. Oak Harbor, home of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, is located on the second longest island in the continental United States. Though not officially part of the San Juans, Whidbey lies just south of them, at the entrance to the Puget Sound. I spent my college summers working on the Washington State Ferry System. I think that floating through the islands every day began my life-long love affair with boats and islands.

My mom tells me I’ve been writing stories since I could hold a pencil. In grade school, she used to get calls from the elementary school secretary. “Come on down and get the latest batch,” the secretary would say. And mom would traipse down to school and pick up my work – stories which had been circulated through the teacher’s lounge amid much laughter.

In the third grade, I won a toy fire truck for an essay on fire safety. And in the seventh grade, I was chosen to be included in a three-year study about teaching writing to English students. It was Eleanor Pieschel (my teacher in the study) who first convinced me that I could write. In college, I studied Physical Therapy, but my English Professor told me it was a mistake. “You should be a writer,” he said. Ignoring him, I got my degree in Physical Therapy.

It took a lot of years. But eventually, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and the persistent prompting of the Holy Spirit (combined with my husband's encouragement) drove me from work in the hospital to quieter work behind a keyboard. At long last, I can face my English professor and say, “I am a writer.” Actually, I always was. Writers are born, not made.

My husband, since 1975, Dr. Kim Nordberg, is a general dentist in private practice in Puyallup. We have four children, all through college and two of them now in dental school.

Today, I write every single workday. When I’m not at the keyboard, I love to sew and knit. For the past ten years, I've been learning to play the cello and I've fallen in love with long-distance bicycling, and Kim and I spend some good time on our tandem bike. Now that the kids are gone (mostly), my husband and I also enjoy time in our boat. (It's his only hobby)

I am the world’s worst housekeeper, and my cooking is barely adequate to keep body and soul together. In spite of my lack of skill, I’m fighting and losing a battle with “middle age bulge.” My friends help by walking with me every morning.

We've been doing that every weekday morning for about twenty years. How the time has flown!

In 1991, Kim and I had the privilege of being part of a planting team for Lighthouse Christian Center, a CMandA church in Puyallup. This has been the most challenging and rewarding part of my Christian walk thus far. Kim serves on our building committee and teaches fifth and sixth grade Sunday school. For years, I wrote and directed sermon prompters for our drama team. Now I teach several Christian Growth classes. Through much sweat and prayer, we at Lighthouse have seen many new believers come to know our savior. Nothing Better!

One more thing. Like Michael Card, I believe that all Christian art developes from community. I'd like to publicly thank my close friends (you know who you are) who have long supported my writing dream. They've pushed me when I'm tired, boosted me when I was discouraged and faithfully prayed for me throughout the last twenty years. Without them, I'd have given up long ago. I can't seperate my work from my support. These guys have been Jesus in flesh for me.

Without them, I would not write. Bless you guys!