Hey. Glad you stopped by.

About my background. Most writers loathe writing those effervescent phony bios, and I’m no exception. While I cringe having to include this page, some folks might be curious about my qualifications.

I’m Cheryl O’Donovan and live in a Chicago suburb. Before a hectic family life, as a “single girl,” I worked in retail advertising and learned from the best boss ever. We were like a sitcom cast, writers, graphic designers, production guys, a colorful mix of volatile personalities. My office was located next to a wrought-iron fire escape, where every year, we’d temporarily store our frozen turkeys, our holiday bonus from management. In between deadlines and during my lunch hours, I’d race over to Kroch’s and Brentano’s to wait in line for author autographs, Maya Angelou, Dave Barry.

Once I became an independent consultant, I had the flexibility to bring my kids along – then young and adorable – pushing my youngest in his navy-striped stroller and holding the hand of my oldest, promising them both a Starbucks cocoa after I inspected a print run.

Fascinating people, my clients. One client held a senior military rank and managed an entertainment unit that performed overseas and for U.S. presidents. Another client worked as an HR consultant and “curled.” I didn’t know what “curling” was until Marge and Homer curled on the Simpsons.

In 2007, an editor from the Pioneer Press offered me a newspaper column. Mom humor. Erma Bombeck territory. The gig lasted for five wonderful years, until 2012.

Today I write fiction.