Professional Life
I couldn’t decide what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I did all the things I loved most. After earning degrees in child development, exceptional student education, and veterinary technology, I have taught elementary school, worked in the intensive care units of the University of Florida and University of Georgia Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, and managed my family’s business, Main Street Animal Hospital. I also became a certified yoga instructor who taught meditation, prenatal yoga, and radiant child yoga.
Writing Life
Writing is the one professional dream I assumed I would never achieve. I pursued writing in high school until someone explained that writing is a talent, not a choice. This person said I couldn’t just be a writer, so I quit writing that day. I didn’t write again for decades, not until my lifelong best friend passed away, and I processed my grief with words. Those words became an award-winning novel.
I have served as both president and critique-group moderator for Tampa Writers Alliance, and I am a member of Florida Writers Association and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. My short stories can be found in a number of literary anthologies, and my third novel The Hennessy Lie was represented by the amazing Sharon Belcastro of Belcastro Literary.
Farm Life
There is a special kind of serenity found on a farm. The connection to nature inspires creativity, and I cannot imagine a better setting for my life. Farm life is neither easy nor glamorous, but time spent with animals is time well spent.
Horse Life
My life’s greatest joy is sharing my passion for horses with my daughters. From watching their first steps on ponies to holding my breath at national finals, I’ve gathered a library’s worth of stories, and I love weaving this unique and exciting world into my work.
Annette Masters 