Though she grew up in Michigan, Joanna never became a fan of the cold. As a child, indoor recess in the winter was her second favorite thing; her first favorite, writing stories. Her wild imagination led her sixth grade teacher to encourage her to become a writer. Instead, Joanna dreamed of becoming just like Dr. Joyce Brothers. Upon completing her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan, she immediately relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina and has since enjoyed every minute of the warmer climate. 

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She has worked for over 20 years as a psychotherapist for adults and children, with specific expertise in trauma treatment.  She truly loves to help people heal and learn new ideas, but her love for books and writing never left her.  And, her love for learning only grew stronger as she grew older. Inspired by Stephen Hawking’s A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME and Gary Zukav’s THE DANCING WU LI MASTERS, she became fascinated with works concerning science, particle physics and the purpose of life.

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Joanna’s craving for a great action-adventure set inside a place like CERN, combined with a desire to look deeper into the unseen, but no less real, impact of violent and destructive behavior, led to the creation of SINAI UNHINGED.

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Joanna has been a member of the South Carolina Writers’ Association since 2009, and is also a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. She’s been published by Parent Co. and SINAI UNHINGED is her debut novel. She enjoys the warmth so much that, in her spare time, she and her husband travel up and down the Southeast coast in any season, even the hot and steamy summer.