Bio

I’ve always loved writing, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer when I grew up. All through school I was ‘the girl who could write’. My friends, classmates and teachers were all incredibly supportive of my writing and nurtured whatever talent they saw in it. One of my fondest memories is of getting 100% on a composition in Mr. Crosby’s grade 5 class (Mr. Crosby didn’t give 100%’s in writing compositions). Another memory I treasure is when I was in grade 7 and my English teacher, Ms. Muzyka, let me go hang out in Mr. B’s English 33 class because they had a poet in as a guest speaker.

I guess every kid wants to feel special in some way, and I felt like my writing was what made me special. In junior high Mr. Brookes took me aside and said, “Rhonda, I expect big things from you. One day I’m going to open a newspaper and read all about everything you’ve accomplished.” I really took that to heart and those words, his confidence in me, have gotten me through more dark spots than I care to remember.

My plans back then were to get a degree and then become a famous novelist or poet. Alas, life got in the way and though I did many things in the near decade between high school and 2003, writing was not one of them. Up until 2004 I’d not written anything longer than a post in a roleplaying chat room.

Then I discovered NaNoWriMo. I tried unsuccessfully to write a novel in a month in both 2003 and 2004 — and really, aside from those failed attempts I didn’t write anything else all year. Then, in 2005, I was regularly writing erotica as a part of my job, and when I attempted NaNo I won. That feeling of accomplishment was immense, I believe it changed my life. Sure, the novel wasn’t the best thing in the world (in fact, I’m still editing it) but I had proven that I had the willpower and the ability to write a novel in a month. If I could do that, I felt like I could do anything.

Thus, with the support of my amazing husband I sold off my other business and started writing full time. Most of my time is spent ghostwriting for clients, but I’m finding more and more time to dedicate to writing my own stories as well. In May 2006 I started submitting my work to magazines and in July I started to get acceptance letters.

In May 2007 (good things seem to happen to me in May), I started Niteblade — a fantasy and horror magazine. It was created, not out of ego, but from a desire to learn what it’s like to be on the other side of the submission and to prove fantasy and horror are not dying genres (as has been suggested by others).

I can’t wait to see what comes next!