I grew up in Izmir, Turkey, a beautiful Aegean city I will always call home. I played with American and Turkish friends, speaking both English and Turkish throughout the day. This might be hard to imagine, but at that time, there was no television in Turkey. Reading became a favorite pastime. I regularly checked out stacks of books from the library.
Here is my first library card.
My favorite childhood book was THE SECRET GARDEN. Here is my treasured copy along with a book report I wrote in fifth grade.
It was only natural that my love of reading led to my love of writing. These two albums are full of my childhood stories and poems. My mother wisely saved them and surprised me with these scrapbooks after I was married, reading and writing stories with my own children.
The Arts have always played an important part in my life. In addition to my love of writing, dance and theater are other passions. It seems only fitting that I would grow up to become a Dance Therapist. Combined with a fulfilling career as a mental health clinician, I am privileged to have shared personal journeys with many children and families. Now that I’m retired, I’m enjoying another way to reach out to children—weaving and crafting stories for them.
Ann is a long-standing member of SCBWI and a writers’ critique group. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a Board Certified Dance-Movement Therapist with a Master’s in Child Development. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two spoiled rescue pups. When she’s not writing, Ann can be found in dance classes, being inspired by her grandchildren, and traveling to her ex-pat roots in Turkey.