I am grateful for the opportunity to feather my passions between the lines, like hues on a canvas. I am grateful I can share my work with you.
Genealogy research, a passion I hold dear since childhood, uncovered the story of Antonio Pontón, a man executed on the electric chair in the early 1900s; the story of his father Manuel, a tobacco farmer who emigrated to Puerto Rico from Spain in the late 1800s; and the story of the family Manuel raised. My ancestors. Their voices left me restless, until I poured their family history saga into Antonio’s Will, my first novel. Antonio's Grace followed, a work of nonfiction scrutinizing the failures of Antonio’s historical criminal case and memorializing the unheard voices of those who spoke loudly during the clemency process, resonating still after one hundred years. Then I met the descendants, and I wrote and illustrated the short story How the Colonel Got His Nickname, carved from my conversations with one of the living descendants of the family in Antonio's Will. I am currently working on my next novel, Alonso’s Curse, also inspired by my family history. The stories travel through time to fifteen-century events taking place in Salamanca, Spain and in Scotland, among other venues. Click to read some Alonso's Curse excerpts in News.
I have written and published in my professional area of work –business law– as well. I wrote Does Your Compass Work? A Legal Guide for Florida Businesses, to help readers gain a general perspective of the legal aspects of business ownership. While not legal advice, I update this guide every few years to reflect changes in laws and regulations. I also try to keep up with my blog, which often proves challenging. Life does throw its low balls! That, plus time evaporates.
Before all this, I was a biomedical engineer with the Space Shuttle Program in Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral, FL. I was also an executive consultant to an Apollo XIII astronaut. After that, I launched a start-up information technology company, and for a few years, I taught the subjects of legal ethics and negotiations to Executive MBAs at the Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business in Winter Park, Florida.
All along, my love for art, writing, and nature has been my silent companion.
When we are not traveling cross-country in our Airstream B190 camper van –Tortuga– my husband and I live in a farmhouse in Florida. We raised our beloved daughter here, and it has also been home to four special Labradors we rescued over the years.
I am currently updating my books' websites. Stay tuned for more to come!
AntoniosWill.com ~ AntoniosGrace.com ~ DoesYourCompassWork.com
