For seven years following graduation from UC Riverside, I worked a variety of jobs including secretary, construction worker, and typewriter repairwoman. I then returned to school at the Wright Institute Los Angeles, got a Ph.D. in social-clinical psychology, and went on to work as a psychotherapist in both public and private settings. Recently retired, I can now dedicate much of my time to writing, which feels like my true calling. I am about to publish my first book, a memoir of the period spent traveling to military bases around the world, counseling soldiers and families.