The woman behind the words
Still becoming, every day
Author. Teacher. Wife. Mom. And someone who believes the most important stories are the ones we finally let ourselves tell.
Where it all began
I grew up in a small town where women were expected to be quiet and capable — and I was both, for a long time. I taught English for over twenty years, raised three kids, loved one man through all of it, and somewhere in the middle of all that living, I started writing.
Not because I had something to prove. Because I had something to say. About grief and grace. About the strange freedom that comes when you stop pretending you have it all figured out. About what it means to be a woman in the second half of your life and feel, for the first time, like you're finally arriving.
My first book came out when I was fifty-two. My editor called it brave. I called it overdue. Either way, it changed everything.
Honest writing
I write what's true, even when it's uncomfortable. Especially then.
Women's stories
Every book I write is for the woman who feels like her story doesn't count. It does.
Teaching
Twenty years in the classroom taught me that words, given carefully, can change a life.
Family first
My husband, my kids, and my grandkids are the reason I write about love like I mean it.
The second half of life is not a consolation prize. It's the main event.
— Carla Rae
The teacher in me
I spent two decades teaching high school English in Colorado. I watched teenagers discover that literature wasn't just old books — it was a mirror. That experience shaped everything about how I write. I think about the reader the way I thought about my students: as someone smart, feeling, and worth the truth.
I still lead occasional writing workshops for women, both in-person and online. If you're interested in joining one, reach out through the contact page.
The life between the pages
I live in the Colorado mountains with my husband of thirty-one years. We have three grown children and two grandchildren who are, frankly, the best things I've ever had anything to do with. I drink too much coffee, take long walks, and read everything I can get my hands on. I believe in handwritten notes, long dinners, and the kind of friendship that picks up right where it left off.
When I'm not writing, I'm probably in my garden, on a trail, or sitting on the porch watching the light change on the mountains.
Let's stay connected
I'd love to hear from you — whether you have a question, want to share what a book meant to you, or just want to say hello.
Get in touch