About

A Little History

My self-published Placenames of Portsmouth led to the formation of a thriving new publishing house in Portsmouth, NH. A complicated book with more than two hundred images, I had hoped to sell it to a national publisher which specializing in photo-rich local histories, as the prototype for a new series for them.

But that particular publisher was not willing to veer from its established format to serve the needs of this particular book, so my husband John and I decided to tap into his twenty-five-plus years of educational publishing experience. We set to work mastering the ins and outs of self-publishing and on-demand printing.

Placenames arrived on the scene in 2005 to immediate local acclaim. When word of our self-publishing success made its way into reviews, other writers started knocking at our door. Back Channel Press was born!

Editing and Book Design

I bring a lifelong fascination with the vagaries of the English language in general and writing in particular, a degree in psychology with a minor in English, and the eye of a self-trained artist to bear on the editing and design of books.

Ever a compulsive proofreader by nature, I have discovered that apparently I was born to be an editor. Ten years in specialized retail plus a somewhat briefer exposure to the world of advertising contribute to my eye for detail and passion for creativity. I am equally at home writing and editing fiction, nonfiction, poetry and material to be put up on the internet, as well as stage and screen plays. I have published four young adult novels with Tor Publishing, and also enjoy writing for children and editing books aimed at young audiences.