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Personal Background
Karen was born in October of 1943 in Chicago to a father who was off a few
days later to World War II and a mother who had graduated from the University of Chicago in 1937 with a degree in Political
Science. Her maternal grandmother was also a four-year college graduate, majoring in Latin and German. So
she comes from a long line of educated, out-spoken, and accomplished women.
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After being moved around the country by a then divorced and quite adventurous
mother, she landed in Beverly Hills on the wrong side of Santa Monica for her third-grade year and then finished her schooling
through high school in La Jolla, California. She went on to Stanford and several other colleges before graduating (on
time!) from San Diego State University with honors in Psychology. She then spent the next four years obtaining a Masters
and Doctoral degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana. That's kindergarten to Ph.D. by age 26 without a break!
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In addition to writing, Karen enjoys playing Bach and Couperin on her harpsichord and attending
Early Music concerts. She loves to travel with friends and her grown daughter. She has a son and daughter-in-law
and two darling grandsons who live in Oregon.
| Christmas 2004 with her harpsichord |
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Professional Experience
Karen has worked in both the public and private
sector, first as a research psychologist in the area of pediatric psychopharmacology and then as a clinician. She published
her Master's thesis and Doctoral dissertation in respected international journals. Her non-fiction writing skills came
in handy for grant-writing, department newsletters, and developing electronic charting tools. She is currently a full-time
clinician with the nation's largest HMO and is very active in the leadership of her union.
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Her favorite activity at work is leading a support group for
women in their midlife years (that's anything from 40 until death!). She delights in seeing the courage of women caught
in the throes of caring for elderly parents, putting up with difficult grown children, coping with health issues, and being
caregivers to the world.
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She has led seminars for professionals and offered workshops in her community
on topics ranging from child rearing to women's midlife issues. Her love for dramatic performance and her sharp wit
make her a dynamic and sought-after speaker. She is looking forward to the opportunity to meet a whole new audience
in the promotion of her novel.
| Avignon in the summer of 2004 with best friend... |
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| ...who was the inspiration for the character of Marietta |
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