Bio

Born and raised in California, I grew up all over the Golden State, changing schools every few years as my parents moved searching for the ‘ideal’ spot to raise their family.
From very early on, I discovered a love of writing and creating-whether my words were in the forms of songs or poems or neighborhood plays. Even if I was at a brand new school, I always felt at home putting pen or marker or crayon to paper.

In high school I discovered acting and was cast in the role of the whimsical Clarisse in the spring production of Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian story of a world without books; a bleak and disturbing future where books are banned-burned by fireman-and preserved only through people’s memories.

This story changed the way I viewed life and I decided I wanted to be a writer. For real.

At the University of California at Santa Cruz-an enchanting college nestled among redwood trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean-I was introduced to the amazing world of literature. I studied Toni Morrison and Ernest Hemingway, and along with my merry band of creative writing hopefuls, helped save the creative writing major from being extinguished by a grouchy old professor who said, “No good books have been written this century, why have a creative writing major at all?” (True story!) Because of our protest, they ended up reinstating the major and I earned my degree in both literature and creative writing. My YA short story, “Dear Mr. Moon” was published in a college anthology the year I graduated.

After college, I wrote and directed for my own children’s theatre along with then multi-talented boyfriend/now husband. Those were magical years watching my words being performed on the stage, being surrounded by engaging and talented teens and kids, living so close to the inspiring sea.

Sadly, the curtain had to fall when we relocated to New York for my hubby to attend medical school. Not a huge fan of change, I was terribly homesick for my beloved California, but found myself working in the most eclectic jobs of my life: a nursing home activities person and a costume shop employee. Many shenanigans ensued. My creative energies sparked back to life, I applied for a spot in the MFA Writing for Children program at the New School. My imagination leapt picturing myself hanging out in hip, Greenwich Village coffee shops with edgy, beret-wearing writers. Turns out my imagination wasn’t that far off-though beret-sightings were few and far between-I did find the perfect setting to practice my voice and learn more about the genre of writing that seemed innate to me: writing for teens and young adults.

It wasn’t until years later, after our son was born and we were living back in California, that I started writing the novel that would become SEA. And I wouldn’t take back even one day of the journey getting here.

Thanks so much for reading and may all your adventures be filled with magic,
=)