About

Three bios:

Victoria’s Under-100-Words Bio: 

I write fiction and nonfiction for children and adults, among them books, essays, articles, and movie reviews. I write about life: grieving family (including pets), celebrating pets, being Irish, being Italian, being a catechist, romance, and Fish Sticks (my name for Catholic Baby Boomers). I write about critical thinking, speech and language disorders, and how praying with holy cards helps me figure out the universe in southwest Ohio. My first book? Sixth grade. Eight Plus Eight Equals Chaos, my autobiography as the seventh of fourteen children. I host writer and book groups, teach, speak, and had a podcast.  (98 words)

Pope silouette above the State of Ohio
Cute blonde lab resting on someone's shoulder

Bullet-List Victoria

  • Newest release: I’m Listening: Praying with Art and Story (Nov 2021)
  • International author: When Your Grandparent Dies (USA, Hungary, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Thailand);
  • When Your Pet Dies (USA, Spain, Brazil, France)
  • Best Selling Author:  When Your Grandparent Dies
  • Award winning author: When Your Pet Dies
  • Podcaster: The Pope of Ohio (currently on hiatus) 
  • Prolific writer: Over one hundred bylines
  • Catechist: 6th Grade Old Testament & 7th Grade Confirmation Prep
    • Master Certificate in Teaching Contemporary Catholic Apologetics (Fr. Spitzer/ Credible Catholic 2022)
    • Bible in a Year (Fr. Mike Schmitt 2021 )
    • Word on Fire Institute (continuing member: Readers Community; Writers Community)
  • Catholic Writers Guild: Conference speaker, former Seal of Approval and Social Media committees
  • Founder & Chair: Mad Anthony Writers Conference and BookFest (2008-2019)
  • M.S., CCC/SLP : Speech-Language Pathologist with State of Ohio license  and national certification from the American Speech Language Hearing Association (retired)
A pamphlet with daisies about divorce
St. Peter with the Keys
Close up of a dog's face

BIO: Writer & Speaker

Writer

Victoria writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. When Your Grandparent Dies and When Your Pet Dies have been translated into nine languages in ten countries, and Pets are a Blessing into three languages. Her adult novel was a finalist for the 2012 Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction. She founded and chaired the Mad Anthony Writers Conference for over 12 years. She has ghost written speeches for political and community leaders, written puzzle books for fund-raisers, and written essays and articles for her parish’s newsletter as well as greeting cards upon request.

Victoria has over one hundred publishing credits including: Pets Are a Blessing Coloring Book (CareNotes 2015); bylines in McCall’s, U.S. Catholic, Ladies Home Journal,  Christian Parenting Today, and regional and local newsletters and newspapers. She published therapy and informational  speech-language pathology materials.

Victoria is a graduate of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (B.S. Education and Speech Therapy; M.S. Speech-Language Pathology), of the Institute of Children’s Literature, and of numerous college and yearly professional courses in creative writing.

She leads a book group for parish. 

Victoria is a catechist for 6th and 7th graders (Old Testament; Confirmation formation), earned the Master Teaching Certificate for Contemporary Catholic Apologetics (2022, Fr. Robert Spitzer at Credible Catholic), completed Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz (2021), and takes religious courses through Word on Fire, the diocese of Cincinnati, and many other online and in-person providers.

Speaker

Victoria speaks about writing and her writing topics to classrooms, writers groups, conference workshops, and to community groups. She taught journal writing, basic composition, and critical thinking as an adjunct instructor for Miami University-Hamilton campus, and fiction writing for the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Continuing Education in Cincinnati