Born, raised, and educated in Wisconsin, I moved to Oregon after completing my studies in horticulture at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. 

Horticulture is not the most logical path to novel writing. That came later.

Though I've always loved to write, I didn't do so in earnest until prompted by a neighbor who, after I told her about a book idea I had, introduced me by saying, "This is Maureen. She's a writer." I wasn't. But thought, okay, let's make it true. So I sat down at my PC and began pounding out my first manuscript, Stranger in My Heart. Never published, though through my efforts, I was introduced to Inkwater Press, who later helped me publish SPIRIT. As luck would have it, Inkwater teamed me up with Andrew Durkin as my editor.

When Inkwater closed during the dark days of COVID, Andrew launched his own business, Yellow Bike Press, and helped me publish For All the Right Reasons and PERCEPTION, and is currently working with me to publish the next book in the SPIRIT series.