Hi! Thanks for checking out my bio. Here’s a little about me. I was convinced by my husband to live in the Arizona desert. While skeptical at first, I realized if I could survive hitchhiking halfway cross country at 20 years old, spend eight years in the Navy, and raise two sons, as long as I had air-conditioning, I'd probably be okay.   Since my move I've: started a veggie garden, learned how to shoot a bow, completed three associate degrees, and become a kayak enthusiast. However, I still hate to cook and will absolutely run screaming from the room at the first sight of a bug. Because bugs are evil.   I completed my first novel for National Novel Writing Month in 2015. After five years of hard work, dedication, and struggle to climb the learning curve, I published Dust on the Altar, in October 2020. With that novel, I went on to be a semi-finalist in the Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award and shortlisted in the Page Turner Awards in 2021.   Now I’m a proud indie-author who can't imagine loving any other career. My goals for the future include giving back to the writing community and helping aspiring authors on their journey to becoming published.   When writing, I'm usually supervised by an adorable Brittany Spaniel named Zen and his mini-me little sister, Pepper. Sign up for my monthly newsletter at michellewinkler.com, for info on future projects, free short stories, and more.