Richelle E. Goodrich

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichelleEGoo...
Poetry: https://allpoetry.com/R._E._Goodrich

I was born in Odgen, Utah in 1968 and spent two years growing up in my mother’s care (helped by her family) while my father served as an Army Sergeant in the Vietnam War. Luckily, he returned home safely, and I made the adjustment to living with two parents. My brother was born shortly afterwards, and all four of us moved to Washington State where we discovered that not every inch of the so-called Evergreen State is actually green. In truth, a large portion mimics the desert, and that is where we set down roots.

My parents completed their family with two additional daughters, resulting in a total of three girls and one boy—a circumstance that made sibling rivalry unequal and often unfair. My brother ended out with his own room while I shared a room with my two sisters. It was an already-small area that we divided with masking tape into personal corners. You can imagine the childish fuss made when someone stepped across a dividing line to enter the only closet or to make a run for the bathroom!

I was blessed to have a mother who willingly enrolled me in ballet, tap dance, gymnastics, girl scouts, piano lessons, as well as a short bout with the viola and the guitar. She drove me faithfully from school to lessons to home for years. Any artistic talent I possess is owed to my parents. My dad sketched cartoon characters for my siblings and me when we were children while my mom created beautiful oil paintings. Their examples inspired me to pursue art in both high school and college.

After growing up in a desert town, I graduated from the local high school with honors. From there, I worked my way through college at Eastern Washington University where I received two bachelor degrees: one, a BA in Liberal Studies and the other, a BAEd in Math/Natural Sciences Education. It wasn’t until I was older that I developed an interest in writing. That in itself is a long, curious story. You can read about it on my author blog (click here.) Since then, I have self-published twelve books. My book quotes have been used in a variety of places, including the Oxford Philosophy Being Human Course Book, in a Revlon ad magazine campaign, on the opening scene of an episode of Alone, and in eight Chicken Soup for the Soul books... eight that I know of anyway.

Writing has become a sweet adventure. I write whenever and wherever opportunity presents itself, even in line at the grocery store. I have learned to use bits of time wisely, knowing that small accomplishments add up quickly. I prefer to write in complete silence whenever possible; it seems my muses are more apt to visit me in calmer, quieter atmospheres. If you want a glimpse into my head, I am an Alice in Wonderland girl—curious, creative, watchful, always pondering, always learning.