A Bit About Me

My Story

I have been a lover of words and writing for as long as I can remember, and have spent the majority of my career teaching students ranging from Kindergarten through adult. No matter what age, my biggest goal has always been to encourage my students to be their own unique selves, to have confidence in who they are, and to follow their passions. Additionally, I long to inspire a love of language, helping people of all ages see that writing and reading can be work, but they are also a great source of joy. A couple of my favorite moments have been when some of my Middle School students asked my permission to work on writing their stories at home for homework, and when one student posted a picture of her independent reading book with a candle next to it on Instagram and wrote, “My teacher calls this homework. I call it fun!” That made my day!

I'm so excited to publish my first children's picture book, Zeke Can't Sleep. The first draft of this story was actually written years ago, when my firstborn was only a toddler! (He's a full-fledged adult now!)

I'm also happy to be working on my third novel, which is a sequel to my first novel, Sticks and Stones. My second novel, Finding True North, was a prequel to Sticks and Stones. While these books are all connected, they can be read in any order and stand as complete stories on their own.

My first novel was inspired by my years of teaching, where I saw so many students struggle with so many varying issues, and also saw how an understanding ear and relevant literature could make a significant impact on their lives.

I'm grateful to all who have encouraged me on my path to publishing, like that class of students I told in 5th Grade that I would finish my book by the time they graduated in 8th Grade (You know who you are!) They asked me to read bits of my book to them in class and cheered me on. A huge shout out to them and all the people in my life who have and continue to ask me about my novels.

Most of all, a shout out to my own children, husband, family members, and friends who have helped me in ways that go beyond words.

I hope all of my readers, of all ages, enjoy my books and find faith and strength through them.

When I'm not writing, I can be found reading (the Bible is my all-time fave read), sipping coffee, browsing a bookstore, or spending precious time with my husband, family, and friends.