About

Called to Write

My writing journey began in elementary school when I published my silly rhyming poems and simple short stories under the handwritten label, “Peyton’s Publishing Productions.” During college it became even more clear that writing was my thing when I majored in business but stacked my course load with glorious writing electives like speech writing and Writing and Love.

I landed my first writing job as assistant editor at AMVETS’ American Veteran magazine, where I researched and wrote about American military history. During that time, as two chaotic wars were underway, I married a Navy guy who I’d dated since high school. Together, we embarked on a mostly sweet (but sometimes bitter) journey as a military couple.

Since then, our change of geography every few years has led me into nonprofit, community, and corporate communication roles. My favorites include working for the American Red Cross, the Coronado Police Department, Novartis, and the Lutheran Church of Guam, where I organized family service trips to an orphanage in The Philippines.

After returning stateside, our family grew by two (that sounds so simple, right?), and my role transitioned into military mom. Our family became my priority as we powered, and sometimes trudged, through Navy workups and deployments. My outside-the-home work transitioned to freelance writing and teaching communication classes as adjunct faculty at Regent University.

Amid the constant uncertainty of military family life, writing has been the seam connecting my professional and personal endeavors. In San Diego, I researched my way to a Master’s degree in communication and edited an edgy collection of poems into a book for an acclaimed poet.

On tropical Guam, I blogged travels and diving adventures at Peyt’s Island and wrote a local produce column for The Guam Guide. In Virginia Beach, I compiled My Dearest Bea, a collection of letters written by my grandfather William J. Holston to my grandmother Bea during the painful deployment on the USS Midway following their wedding day. Additionally, my work has appeared in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, Military Families Magazine, Line of Advance, Stars and Stripes, As You Were: The Military Review, and Romper. One of my travel stories was picked up by National Geographic.

My social impact novel Beneath the Seams (Scrivenings Press, May 2021) debuted as a #1 new release on Amazon in contemporary Christian fiction. Combining research and interviews from the dark side of the fashion industry with a heartwarming mother-daughter tale, this story emulates my personal journey from sewist to shopaholic to Remake ambassador, and has sparked thought-provoking discussions at book stores and book clubs around the world.

Beyond writing, I love connecting with friends old and new. Please don’t hesitate to say hello.

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