About Me

I lived in Wisconsin the first 15 years of my life.  In elementary school, I played lots of neighborhood kickball, I babysat our neighbor’s wiener dog during tornado warnings because his legs were too short to go down the stairs into the basement, and I painted rocks that I sold at the end of my driveway. As you can see, I was making lots of money even back then. In middle school my girlfriends and I sang into our hairbrushes, laughed until we snorted and danced lots of disco. I cried when my hairdresser gave me a mullet when I’d asked for Farrah feathers. I was a cheerleader and on the 7^th grade championship speedball team. 

My mom and I moved to Southern California the summer before my sophomore year in high school.  I was nervous about being the new kid in school but found I was very lucky to be attending a three-year high school. So half the students thought I was from the ‘other’ junior high that merged into the high school.  That is, until I opened my mouth and my midwestern accent gave me away. I worked very hard to lose my accent before I graduated, so that I would fit in better.  But you might catch a hint of it when I’m public speaking or if I’ve just talked to my oldest sister who still lives in Wisconsin.

My husband and I met six years later at work.  I worked in corporate America for about 10 more years and in that time had four children.  Finally I decided enough was enough and I quit my job to stay home and raise my kids.  The very first day I was home I baked cookies and my husband was laid off from his job.

So we sold our house and moved to Central Oregon.  Logical.  We still live there and love it.  Only one of my children still has yet to surpass me in height and I secretly hope she never does.  I'm extremely proud of the lovely people that my children are. I know it is all because my husband is such a fantastic father, I'm just along for the ride. And it's a fun one.

I’ve always been a storyteller and writer.  But I didn’t consider becoming a professional writer until my oldest daughter and I became hooked on the Harry Potter series and we were between book releases (the fourth and fifth book, I believe.)  I decided while I waited for the release of the next HP, I’d create my own characters and my very own world.  In fewer than four months, I had completed my very first middle grade novel.