ABOUT MONICA

I’m a homeschooling mama who loves her family, her Church, and the world of stories. From the rice paddies and marshlands of Acadiana to the rolling hills and pine forests in North Louisiana, I grew up in a state that often feels like a fairyland. Well, a sweltering, humid, fairyland. Louisiana - full of its own myths and legends - was a great place to build an imagination for storytelling.

My first platform for producing stories was in a public high school, where I spent ten years teaching English, Speech, Drama, and Debate. When my Drama program didn’t have enough money to pay for royalties for a major production, I thought, let’s just write our own play! My talented students came through with Disney vs Dickens, a zombie play about the dangers of losing one’s brains to twaddle versions of fairy tales. My students had deep and wide interests, and finding scripts to suit them introduced me to vast new worlds. 

My next effort at storytelling was motivated by motherhood. I enjoyed snuggling with my son on the couch and reading him illustrated children’s books. When I couldn’t find one about his namesake, St. Maximus the Confessor, I thought to myself, No problem - I’ll write one!

Considering that you aren't seeing that book on this website, you might already have guessed that idea didn't make the cut. If I had been a bit more observant or thoughtful, I might have seen the truth before an editor had to tell me, “Um, we don’t usually publish illustrations of torture for children’s books. Have you considered writing a novel instead? For an older audience?” 

Sure!

Before I could do that, I needed to learn a few things. First, I learned to pay more attention to the details of life around me, so I could more clearly see. It’s a common story motif that you probably enjoy - a character going from blindness to sight. Elizabeth Bennett, Eustace Scrubb, or the Prodigal Son - all these characters eventually come to that moment: Oh, now I see!

Second, I shifted from teaching high school to every grade level at home. I spent hours reading aloud Bible stories, fables, myths, fairy tales, and legends. No analysis. No essays. Just worlds of wonder, and I was re-enchanted. This was right about the same time I started listening to podcasts like Amon Sûl and Lord of Spirits. Re-enchantment everywhere!

Third, I took a deep dive into storytelling. Many of my favorite authors served as my guides along the way: Flannery O’Connor, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, Ursula K. LeGuin, Madeleine L’Engle, and Orson Scott Card. Even better, living guides gave me the courage to hone the craft of writing and share it. From House of Humane Letters I was guided through the classics like Homer, Beowulf, Chaucer, and Shakespeare; as well as Tolkien, Lewis, and Berry to see how modern writers weave the classics into their own stories. I studied the craft of writing through three years of classes from Jonathan Rogers in his Habit Writing Community and every writing webinar I could take from Nicholas Kotar.

That first novel took eight years. My own 12-year-old son gave me chapter-by-chapter feedback as I finished revising and printed them off for him. Professional editors helped me trim it down and focus the story on the main characters: George and Leo. And now you can follow their journey by boat and donkey, through mountains and deserts, as they chase down the only man who can help them when the whole world seems dark. Look for In the Light of Abba Maximus in the summer of 2025!

In the meantime, I’m sending free monthly short stories to everyone who signs up for my email NEWSLETTER. Make sure to sign up!

I'm still exploring this enchanted universe we share. I live in Louisiana with my husband, still homeschooling and attending All Saints of America Orthodox Church. I teach Creative Writing for LSUS Continuing Education and electives online at St. Athanasius Academy, where you might be lucky enough to catch me in costume from our most recent Shakespeare play.