I am also an award-winning author of books, stories, and articles.
Author
The Quiet in the Land. Spirit Ridge Publishing, Panama, 2008. A novel tracing three generations of a Mennonite family struggling in the aftermath of an act of violence.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding the Amish. Alpha Books, New York, 2003. A popular guide to the religion, culture, history and sociology of the Amish.
A Multicultural Portrait of The Great Depression. Marshall Cavendish, New York, 1996. History of the Great Depression written for middle school students as part of the publisher's series, Perspectives: A Multicultural Portrait of the United States.
Editor
Marshall Cavendish, New York. Edited several books for this educational publisher, including Chinese Americans (1995) and other books from the Cultures of America Series. Also edited a history of the American Revolution for the same publisher.
Zink the Zebra by Kelly Weil, edited by Susan Rensberger. (Gareth Stevens, Milwaukee, 1996): Revised the poem written by a child afflicted with cancer that became this picture book for children.
Fiction Awards
1993: Best American Short Stories 1993, "100 Distinguished Stories of 1992," for the story, "Communion."
1992: Prairie Schooner Readers' Choice Award for the story "Communion."
