I grew up in the tiny town of Oxford, PA and dreamed of rockstardom. After graduation I studied Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville, TN and fronted two original rock bands, Merry Madness, and Audra & the Antidote that toured the southeast and almost hit the big time.
After partnering with Michael Carmack, a computer programmer who designed Audra & the Antidote's first website, I became interested in web design. In 2001 we started a web design and hosting company that focused on independent musicians like me. It grew quickly, and by 2006 we had moved to Maryland with 1200 clients. Coding by hand, I became passionate about tableless CSS designs, and for fun would solve CSS problems for other designers.
Two years later, I partnered with Allison Carmack to move forward with an invention idea that struck me while still in Nashville: a clippable minipurse. I named it The Hip Klip and took care of anything design related--web, graphic, and product design--as well as the administrative duties. We even sewed the first 3000 pockets ourselves.
After selling my portion of the business, I continued working on websites while pursuing novel writing. I produced six books--three of which you can buy on Amazon.com--and aside from writing did all the graphic work including cover design and illustration. I even created The Amishland Storyteller's ebook for Amazon when their automagic service didn't produce the results I wanted. Meanwhile, I took an interest in upholstery, and continued to outdo myself every Halloween with my kids' costumes.
Currently I'm developing my skills in painting acrylic portraits and looking forward to my next creative adventure.