ABOUT ME

 

I was born on Halloween. And no, unfortunately, I’m not a witch (but I sometimes wish I could fly a broom).

I was raised in Kentucky.  And yes, I’ve ridden a horse, rolled down a bluegrass hill and was known to yell, “Yeehaw!” from time to time.

I now live in Texas.  And yes, I’ve been to a rodeo, eaten BBQ, and still yell, “Yeehaw!” from time to time. (Some things never change.)

I’ve also lived in Alabama, Utah, Massachusetts, Finland and Ireland.  I wish I could say I was fluent in Finnish, Irish, or Bostonian.  But I am definitely fluent in “Southern,” y’all.

 I’ve dreamed of being a writer ever since I could hold a pen. At age 5, my favorite pen was shaped like an ice-cream cone, and I would carry it around and write poems on scraps of paper.  My favorite topics were Halloween, Christmas, and caterpillars. 

I come from a family of storytellers.  In fact, I have two younger brothers, and they are both writers!  One is a sports editor for a newspaper, and the other writes children’s novels.  (Brothers. Sheesh. They ALWAYS copy me.) We love to swap story ideas and retell family memories (that still make us laugh).  Maybe we’ll write a story together some day.

I love to read.   I usually have a stack of books by my bed, and am in the middle of 3 or 4 novels at the same time.   I have been known to hide beneath my covers with a book light and read all night long (Harry Potter, anyone?).

Some of my favorite things:  family, laughing, fuzzy socks, hot baths, blue jeans, autumn, New England, yoga,  Cairn terriers, thunderstorms, willow trees, and Cadbury eggs.

I could live without:  spiders, mosquitoes, traffic jams, bad guys, bullies, 100-degree weather, and laundry.

I’ve worked as a grocery store clerk, a nursing home aide,  an immigration lawyer’s assistant,  an editor, a writing instructor, and a tobacco pollinator. (Not necessarily in that order.) I currently work as a mom to five fantastic kiddos and write children’s poetry and picture books (my dream jobs!). To find out more about my published books and poems, click here.