I've wanted to write books since age nine when a short story of mine won a contest. The story was a noir detective yarn, complete with a gravelly P.I. and his dog, Bud. I got the writing bug from that experience, and haven't shaken it since.
Once in college, I continued writing, though nothing as fun as that first story. Much of what I put to paper was not ready for the light of day, could have been classified as "experimental" at best. I received my B.A. in English from the University of Iowa, and later returned to school to earn my license to teach elementary education.
I cut my teeth as a 3rd grade teacher, and it was within those classroom walls that I rediscovered what I loved about writing and reading so much to begin with. I began writing for children, and that journey has brought me here. Zingo, as Bogie might say.
I still dabble in other genres, for other age groups, and I work as a freelance writer and editor. But always I return to books, to fiction, to the grand lies I craft for those who want to hear them.
I also welcome questions of all kinds, from young and old alike. Just email me.
(Oh, and do you like my GIANT picture below? It may look big, but it's actually life-size. I'm tiny.)
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