How does a public relations professional end up in book coaching?

Good question!

I finished up a contract with an exclusive freelance client and needed a break. Instead of jumping straight back into the job market, I took some time off and decided to focus on writing the novel I’d always dreamt of writing.

It ended up being a lot harder and taking a lot longer than I thought as I beefed up my skills, took classes, and muddled my way through a first draft. But what I loved was the writing community. I decided to look for opportunities to stay immersed in that community.

As a side hustle, I read for a beta reading service. I loved seeing stories in their early iterations and providing feedback to writers to help them achieve their goals. I was honored to be a part of another writer’s process.

The problem? I had more to say. Beta reading isn’t meant to be a deep dive on your manuscript and so I didn’t have the opportunity to dig as deep into a story as I wanted or explore the topic with the writer once I passed along my short feedback. Beta reading is a necessary part of the process and I don’t want to take away from these services because they are wonderful (I use them myself), but I wanted to know what happened after they opened that feedback email. I wanted to be more invested in these stories and these writers.

This is when I learned about book coaching.

Book coaching allows me to have the deeper conversations, brainstorm, support the writer at various stages of the process, share knowledge and resources, and be a partner on the writer’s journey.

My goal as a coach is to provide the feedback and encouragement you need to keep going, to finish your manuscript, to discover your personal strengths, and provide the tools needed to transition your professional writing skills to fiction.

I am your cheerleader when needed, provide accountability, and offer guidance on the path forward regardless of whether you’re just starting a draft or in the middle of a revision.

I love this work because I understand how it feels to bury a dream, the bravery it takes to honor that dream, the doubting that surfaces along the way. I also know how to translate PR skills into storytelling.

When you work with me, you will receive support, honest feedback, and an action plan to move your story and creative writing forward.

Ready to take the next step together?

About Me

I am a women’s fiction author and Author Accelerator Certified book coach. As an Author Accelerator certified book coach, I am qualified to coach writers using Author Accelerator’s strategy, methods, and materials, but I operate independently of Author Accelerator and am not affiliated with them.

I began my career in public relations where I worked in Washington, D.C. then Atlanta on a variety of media campaigns for clients ranging in topics from healthcare to high school sports. I started blogging in 2006 after having my first child and at the height of the mommy-blogging boom. I wrote about the challenges of transitioning from the corporate world to at-home motherhood and documented the joys and pitfalls of on-ramping and flexible work arrangements as our life evolved. I currently write women’s fiction to tell stories of ordinary women making extraordinary self-discoveries and coach fellow professional communicators on how to apply their skills to fiction to write the novels they’ve always dreamt of writing.

I am a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a proud member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and North Carolina Writers’ Network. I live in central North Carolina with my husband, two teenaged boys, and ornery but adorable cat. When I’m not writing or coaching clients on their own writing you can find me reading on my porch swing or using a long walk in the woods as an excuse to catch up on my favorite podcasts.

I am represented by Hailey Stephens at Rosecliff Literary.

Upcoming Events

Character Development and Agency with the Zebulon Writers’ Group at the Zebulon Community Library, March 18, 2026 at 6pm.

Put Your Characters in the Driver’s Seat: Ensuring your Protagonist has Agency at the Eva Perry Library, March 23, 2026 at 6:30pm.

Articles/Interviews

Speaking Engagements