Crafting stories about characters who discover their resiliency by embracing their authenticity
BIO
I was born during the Summer of Love in Arlington, Texas, and grew up in Waco, Burleson, and Dallas. I moved to Atlanta, Georgia just before the Olympics in 1996, and I live with my husband, Jeff, in historic Grant Park.
I spell my name with one "F" because I don't believe in carrying the weight of a silent "F." My mother said I'm named after an old boyfriend who got fresh outside a Dairy Queen and whom she shoved her dipped cone into his face. My father said I'm named after the actor Jeff Morrow, who starred in biblical epics, westerns, and science fiction films. Who's right? Who knows!
Growing up, I never crossed paths with anyone else named Jeff until high school. Now, I'm married to one whose best friend is also named Jeff. Two other Jeffs live on our block; one moved away, and a new one moved next door.
Professionally, I make websites and apps easier to use as a user experience (UX) content designer. In addition, I'm a certified Martha Beck Wayfinder Life Coach and national board-certified health & wellness coach and help clients live healthier, more meaningful, and satisfying lives. I also work as a background actor for movies and television when I can. I've worked on English Teacher, His & Hers, Reasonable Doubt, Tulsa King, and various projects for DC and Marvel Studios, among other shows.
On weekends, I lead hikes with my outdoor group and can often be found camping, caving, cycling, hiking, and kayaking, among other activities.
My other interests include fitness, nutrition, Transcendental Meditation (TM), and travel. Reading, listening to music—especially from the Second British Invasion—and watching movies are also favorite pastimes.
I value connection, creativity, and curiosity most, and I use these qualities to choose with whom I spend my time and what I do with it.
Growing up in the South, where Elvis and Jesus are both Kings, I've developed an appreciation for the absurd and unusual.
My maternal grandmother cultivated a love of storytelling in me as I was growing up, and I assumed everybody's family included members who picked cotton with Willie Nelson when he was a kid, were thrown in jail by the Feds after being mistaken for Bonnie Parker, are described by Wikipedia as "an alleged safecracker," or were an infamous stripper who was engaged to a notorious gangster and a friend of Jack Ruby.
Writing
My fiction tends to be either funny or dark, with speculative elements.
The thread running through my storytelling is protagonists who build resiliency by discovering and embracing their authenticity.
I favor the first-person point of view; however, I occasionally play with the third-person, too.
I appreciate an outline, yet I know at some point, the characters will revolt if I try to force them to stick to my plan, so I listen and write down what I hear my characters say and watch what they do.
I enjoy writing about emotional intimacy, and I frequently write about characters who must define what masculinity and being a man mean for them and the tension between gay and straight men.
I'm currently querying agents for my speculative novel Cherry Blossom at 106,000 words while completing the first draft of my speculative literary novel, The Imperfection of Freshly Cut Flowers.
Awards & Publications
I'm a former Lambda Literary Foundation Fellow who studied writing with Orson Scott Card, Joshilyn Jackson, Alex Sanchez, and David Fulmer. My flash fiction, “Violet,” was selected as an Editor’s Choice and published on the BBC’s Get Writing website. My humorous essay, “How My Mama Taught Me How to Pimp Girl Scout Cookies,” was a finalist in the 2012 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition. My screenplays Millicent Meyers’ Magnificent Murder Plan and And Wackiness Ensues ... were semifinalists in the Atlanta Film Festival’s Perfect Pitch Contest in 2004 and 2006. My screenplay Eternal Monday was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Del Shores Foundation Writers Search.
My short story, "A Mother's Touch," was published in The Blue Mountain Review, Issue 24, January 2022.
CONTACT
If you have questions or want to contact me, please complete the form below. I usually reply by email within one business day.