I was convinced by my husband to live in the Arizona desert. While skeptical at first, I realized if I could survive hitchhiking halfway cross country at 20 years old, spend eight years in the Navy, and raise two sons, as long as I had air-conditioning, I'd probably be okay.

Since my move I've: started a veggie garden, learned how to shoot a bow, completed three associate degrees, and become a kayak enthusiast. However, I still hate to cook and will absolutely run screaming from the room at the first sight of a bug. Because bugs are evil.

I published my debut novel, Dust on the Altar, in October of 2020. You can download the first 3 chapters for free through Bookfunnel here~> https://dl.bookfunnel.com/w33d9om0no

The five-year journey it took from first draft to published introduced me to a career and community I love more than I could have dreamed. My mission now is two-fold: Continue writing books I love, and grow my little corner of the indie-author community, so I can pay-forward what I've learned.

When writing, I'm usually supervised by an adorable Brittany Spaniel named Zen and his mini-me little sister, Pepper. 

My website, michellewinkler.com, has links to all my social media hangouts, info on future projects, and more.