About Me


Right off the bat, my life began as a little sister. I followed my sister, Jan, around  incessantly. (That's what she claims anyway!) But hey, since she was almost three years older than me, she  always had something interesting up her sleeve.  We spent hours and hours practicing back bends and flips on the front lawn, drawing pictures of Millie the Model and making people out of clay at our home in Pleasant Hill, CA.

I didn't say much at school and never raised my hand. My teachers always wrote, "Lori needs to speak up more" on my report cards. (Like that was going to happen!)

Once I learned to read, my nose was always in a book. One of my favorite books was Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary. Ellen seemed so real. I loved reading about all of her adventures--wearing long, scratchy underwear in ballet class (heavens!), getting lost on stage while she was wearing a rat costume, and getting slapped by her best friend, Austine. (Would they ever be friends again?) I also read every book by Willard Price (Amazon Adventure, Underwater Adventures, Safari Adventures, etc.) and Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, etc.) Reading was an exciting way of exploring a world of people and places far away from my home on Jennie Drive.

While I was in high school, dance captured my heart. After graduation, I attended Cal State University Hayward, then transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. I graduated with a B.S. degree in Professional Dance and a minor in Art. Later, I earned my secondary teaching credential in dance education.

I worked in a variety of fields including dance education and word processing for electrical engineers, accountants, hospitals, and attorneys. I've also been a sign language interpretor, substitute high school teacher, and a Master Canner of El Dorado County.

Then I discovered my true passion--writing! I've been writing ever since.

Today, I live in the foothills of Northern California with my computer engineer husband, two sons, a daughter, and our mega fluffy cat, Max. 

He likes to sit where he doesn't belong--like my desk!







 













Text © Lori Mortensen. All rights reserved.
Updated August 2010