Kate has always wondered what life was like in days past. As a teen she read historical romances, collected old trinkets, and dressed in costume at the Renaissance Faire. She convinced her beau, Don, to wear RenFaire garb, too, and he married her anyway.
While raising their children in Naperville, Illinois, Kate became interested in the local history. When the 175th anniversary of the town’s founding approached, both Kate and Don got involved helping with the celebration. 
Looking for a quick read, Kate checked the library for a children’s book on the town’s early days, but there weren’t any. So she decided to write one,
Inspired by a life-long interest in writing and drawing, Kate had graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois with a double major in creative writing and painting with the intention of creating children’s books. Instead, she wound up writing for a couple of newspapers and for web development companies and spent a lot of time with her children. Now, the time was finally right for that children’s book.
Ruth by Lake and Prairie is a narrative history of the journey to Naper’s Settlement as experienced by Joseph Naper’s niece, Ruth. The book was awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the Illinois State Historical Society in 2008, jumpstarting a new career. Two more local history books and the long-running Kate’s Brief History blog followed.
Having a deep affection for Agatha Christie novels, Kate often researched tidbits of history when puzzled by a reference in one of Christie’s books. It occurred to her that other Christie fans might also be interested in what she learned, so she set about the task in earnest.
Since Agatha was especially prolific, Kate sees a lot of fascinating research in her future.