It is my delight to bring you meaty prehistoric novels. I hope to do so for many years to come.

I spent my youth gallivanting around Southeast Asia with my husband, learning languages and crossing cultures, and writing anthropological and linguistic reports. Now I live in the Western United States and am raising three active boys an army of young men to be my bodyguards, plus various rabbits and chickens. My experiences with anthropology, travel, and motherhood inform my writing.

I am the author of The Scattering Trilogy, consisting of The Long Guest, The Strange Land, and The Great Snake. You can read about them, and find links to buy them, on my Books page. You can sign up for e-mails on my Contact page. Or, feel free to poke around on the blog for rants and research.

I’m also a painter. I do Western and fantasy landscapes. I did the covers of all three books in my trilogy. I enjoy beta reading for other authors.

My next project, if all goes well, will be set even farther back in time, in an even more fantastical world.

Here’s What Readers are Saying about The Long Guest

“I could have a bias. But the fact is The Long Guest rocks.” –James

“The ability to describe each perspective and the emotion behind it reminds me of one my favorite authors, Anne Tyler.” –Liz

“I felt like one of the family. It really is that close and personal.” –S.D.

“It will make you cry out for more of this genre.” –Rachael

… About The Strange Land …

“This second volume was even more interesting and faster paced than the first.” — Idaho fan

“Definitely there were outcomes I did not expect.” — Grandma Ruth

“For some reason, it gave me the same kind of vibes as The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, because it is rich in wisdom and values. I’ve had a fresh experience in reading this book.” –Shey

“Beautifully written … quite an emotional book. It will have you wanting to finish it in a single sitting.” –Raeesa

… And About The Great Snake:

“Klee as the main lead is very relatable and I like her character development in the story. Not knowing whom to trust after discovering that everyone isn’t who she thought they were, invoked emotions in me that were very unsettling.” –Shey

“One of the novel’s strengths is its exploration of themes like resilience, community, and the human spirit. The People’s migration is a physical journey but also a journey of discovery and growth. The story raises interesting questions about how people relate to the natural world and the importance of cultural traditions in shaping identity.” — Victor

 “At the end of the book Mugrage has a bibliography listing historical texts in which she got her inspiration from. This was something I heavily enjoyed and hope to see more of in fiction. I deeply appreciate the author for doing something different from what I have seen before and being bold with the way she chose to write this story.” –Li

(Yes, That Is Charcoal Mixed with Oil on my Face in the Photo)

P.S. The photo was taken shortly after I attended a traditional funeral in Southeast Asia. A person was wandering around with a char-covered wok and a small jar of Vaseline. He would mix the two with his fingers and swipe the mixture on the mourners’ faces as a sign of grief. (Another person was wandering around giving mourners sips of a fiery homemade rice wine from a 6-oz glass.) Of course we took the photo afterward, outside, as we were leaving. We did not flash the big smile in the funeral itself.

Update: I’m Getting Older

I realize this is a twist ending. So unexpected.

The picture of me above was taken when I was about thirty. Now, I’m closer to fifty, and am on track to look like this:

I have added an “aging” tag to my blog, with a few posts under it. I’m especially interested in how to be a good matriarch.