I've been writing since the age of five, when I wrote and illustrated my first literary masterpiece, Sue the Dog. This title is not meant to indicate that we’re going to take legal action against the dog; the dog’s name is Sue. I don’t remember much about the book, except for one particularly enthralling scene where Sue becomes a ballerina.
I was taught at home by my parents, Joel W. Norton and Ruthe Clark. After I graduated from high school, I took two correspondence courses from Brigham Young University in creative writing, and also a course in floral design from International Correspondence Schools. After that, I took a job working at a floral shop, which I loved.
In 1994 at the tender age of 18, I met then 34-year-old Matt Pinkston of Eugene, Oregon. We were engaged on our tenth date. This consequently sent my parents into shock. After we revived them, we were married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 31, 1995. I was 19 by that time, which as we all know is so much older than 18.
When one of my sons was about 8 months old, I had a strange dream which piqued my interest in World War II. As I hit the Internet and did research at the library, the story of Nothing to Regret came to life.
The week after our last son joined our family, my second book Strength to Endure was released, written about World War II from the perspective of a German family. It was quite a kick to have a baby boy and a baby book at the same time. Many people have asked me which book I like better, Nothing to Regret or Strength to Endure. I can't even answer that. They're both a part of me and they both represent who I was at the time I wrote them. Let's just say, I like them both the same amount, only in different ways.
I'm a stay at home mom and a homeschooler I spend lots of time ignoring my dirty house and hiding laundry in weird places. I specialize in moving things from one place to another, and then back again. I love Flylady’s housework routines (visit www.flylady.net) and I sometimes even do them. In my spare time, you know, those hours most people waste with sleep, I'm a writer. I love to do research and make my novels as realistic as possible, helping my readers to understand nuances of history that escape the textbooks.
In addition to the novels I write, I maintain a blog which contains tips for aspiring authors and also my own personal ramblings, which sometimes make sense and sometimes do not. I also write book reviews for Families.com. It’s a fabulous job – I get to read books and talk about them, two of my favorite things.
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Fiction - Sarah Williams is a young Welsh immigrant, coming to Utah to join her sister Mary Ann Perkins. When the Perkins are asked to join the San Juan mission to pioneer a trail through Southern Utah, they take Sarah along to help care for the children. But a six-week journey turns into six agonizing months of hard work and toil as the Saints blast their way through a cliff to bring their wagons through what would become the famous Utah landmark "Hole in the Rock." Finally settled in the San Juan, Sarah's true hardship begins when Ben Perkins asks her to be his second wife. With their faith and testimonies challenged to the core, both Sarah and Mary Ann struggle to find the true meaning of Christ-like love and obedience. Will they make it through? |
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Fiction - Anneliese Klein was just a small girl when Hitler came into power in her home country of Germany. Fear and uncertainty were as much as part of her childhood as dolls and tea parties. As she grew up, the war crept even closer to home, taking first her two brothers and then her father. Eventually it claims the man she loves. How will she survive these horrors? And what will become of her unborn child? A historically rich tale, Strength To Endure expertly portrays the consequences of war and the ability of the human spirit to conquer all. |
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Fiction - Ken Sugihara is my fictional character for this book, and he was a student at Berkeley at the time of Pearl Harbor. He is shocked to hear about the attack, but even more shocked when he discovers that all people of Japanese ancestry in the United States, especially those living on the West Coast, are now considered suspects in the attack. He and his parents are taken from their home and sent to a relocation center in the Utah Desert. While living in Topaz, Ken's old friend Colonel Beaumont comes to see him, and asks him if he will go on a mission of espionage to Japan to hunt down information on Japanese aircraft. Ken is reluctant at first to serve the country that wrongfully imprisoned him, but realizes that he has a chance to make a difference, and agrees to go. The experiences he has change his life forever. This is a story of prejudice and acceptance, dignity under the worst conditions, and the power of the Atonement to heal us all. |
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