Nancy got her first rejection when she was thirteen and she’s been writing ever since. “That first effort was an essay about why not to be a nature lover. I’m sure that the publication realized that what they’d received was from a kid, but they were kind and wished me luck in my future endeavors. That wouldn’t happen today, but it was encouraging - imagine! Me, a high-school kid, getting a letter from the editors at Woman’s Day. I was hooked.”

First published in children’s picture books (The Dragon of Cobblestone Castle, The Motherless Bug, Funny-talk Freddy (which won the Jade Ring award from the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association), andYelly Kelly, Nancy went on to publish many short fictions and poems for children’s publications as well as feature and photo-feature articles and essays in local, regional and national magazines.

Publication of more picture books, God’s Quiet Things, If I Could, and a revision of Yelly Kelly followed, along with an early reader chapter book, The Second Street Snoops, and in 2009, The Door to Love, a romance novel set in romantic Door County, Wisconsin. Since then, Wannabe, set in Green Bay and Door County, The House on the Dunes, also a Wisconsin book, and now The Perfect Suspect. An historical romp, The Countess of Denwick will be out later this year from Divine Garden Press. “I do love to write, but sometimes it’s really hard to buckle down and get to it, especially when the sun is shining and the golf course–or the piano–or a good book beckons.”

Nancy is a mother of seven, with five step-children, 31 grandchildren and now seven great grandbabies. It’s a busy family, with lots always going on. But there’s always time to chat with readers. Find her at nancysweetland@gmai.com