About

Tammy was born in Holland, Michigan, the same year the first man-made object entered lunar orbit and It’s a Small World opened at Disneyland; she’s been fascinated by contradictions and ironies ever since. She traces her love of words and storytelling to the fourth grade, when she wrote her first book—a tale of suspense and intrigue called The Schoolhouse Mystery.

Tammy went on to earn a degree in journalism from Indiana University and has since enjoyed a long and varied professional writing career. Though she began as a copywriter, marketing everything from Big Macs to dog food to Jim Beam whiskey, she found commercialism less than uplifting and longed to compose complete sentences, so she left the marketing world to walk dogs and write fiction. She owned a dog kennel for more than a decade, and eventually turned her attention from pets to children.

While a stay-at-home mom of three kids, Tammy wrote her first novel, Hello Loved Ones, and the children’s book, My Health is in My Hands. Her most recent book, The Buddha at My Table, has won several awards, including the 2020 NYC Big Book Award and the 2019 Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award. 

Tammy never planned to write a memoir. Her first love was fiction, but life handed her a story that had to be told. Thanks to that detour, a new purpose evolved: she wants you to know that you are not alone, that whatever situation you’re facing, however difficult it may be, as unlikely as it seems, you can always interpret events in your favor. 

And every story matters. 

Tammy lives in Chicago and would love to hear from you.

Let’s talk!