A budding wordsmith in second grade,

while traveling by camper on a trip with my family, I crafted a tale about a financially struggling farmer. Not wanting to repeat the same word multiple times in the piece (a Writing 101 rule), I asked my mom for a synonym for “poor.” She suggested “poverty stricken,” which I liked and used.

Once finished with and proud of my story, I showed “The Farmer Who Had No Money” to my schoolteacher, who wrote on it, “This is fantastic! Keep up the great work!” However, Mrs. Teacher (name omitted intentionally) contacted and told my parents she believed I hadn’t written the story and, instead, had tried to pass off someone else’s work as my own. As if.

Just as at age seven, I still strive today to elevate my writing despite decades of crafting various kinds of content. Call me a purist, but in all material I produce, the words are my own, never those churned out by artificial intelligence programs. My educational background — a B.A. in Writing and Literature from the University of California, San Diego and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno — and experience inform my work.

After starting my career as a journalist, I shifted to freelance writing and editing, which I did for 20+ years. Along the way, I developed a passion for the history of gambling (living in Reno, Nevada might’ve played a part). Now, I’m focused on my own writing projects, most on this same subject, which include my “It Really Happened” blog and more books.

When not researching, writing or revising, I’m usually working my side crochet business Handmade by DB, tackling house and yard projects, walking, or watching true and fictional crime shows. The Biggest Little City is still my home.