Hi there.

So my name alone should give you a clue that I graduated from high school when bangs were big and clothes were baggy. I went to Northwestern University and majored in journalism even though I had no desire to be a journalist. I've been married for a super long time to a great guy and we've got two amazing and yet very different teenage kids. I like crappy food, pinning inspirational quotes on Pinterest, have a tendency to start paragraphs with "anyway", and I wish I were funnier. I would love to be one of those really, REALLY funny bloggers (like Insane in the Mom-Brain) that makes you pee yourself a little bit. I am only moderately funny. I admit that. It's one of my great sadnesses in life.
I started writing fiction when I was 10, but tried to be practical with the whole journalism thing. Didn't take. Shortly after college, the fiction-writing desire reared its non-practical head and I've been writing ever since.
Anyway, I'm probably just like you. We'd probably be friends if we met in real life. (Well, let's be honest. It's likely that only my friends are actually reading this blog, so we probably ARE friends in real life.) But whether we are friends in real life, or just virtual friends through cyberspace, I hope you will enjoy your time here.
I started writing fiction when I was 10, but tried to be practical with the whole journalism thing. Didn't take. Shortly after college, the fiction-writing desire reared its non-practical head and I've been writing ever since.
Anyway, I'm probably just like you. We'd probably be friends if we met in real life. (Well, let's be honest. It's likely that only my friends are actually reading this blog, so we probably ARE friends in real life.) But whether we are friends in real life, or just virtual friends through cyberspace, I hope you will enjoy your time here.
Random Questions
Full disclosure: these aren't FREQUENTLY asked questions. I just made some up.
What are the grossest foods?
What are the grossest foods?
- Olives, mushrooms, and capers. And liver. Definitely liver. At one point in my life I would have said tomatoes, but those suckers have grown on me.
- Candy. And candy. And ... did I mention candy? (And tacos.)
- I was a nerdy bookworm, and then I became a cheerleader, so I was a nerdy bookworm cheerleader. Probably the rarest of all breeds.
- I know you may not have met my daughter, but this is a question I get asked CONSTANTLY in real life, so I'll answer it here. Her volleyball roster says she is 6', but she's probably more like 5'11".
- I don't know about "always," but at least since 5th grade. I won the young authors contest at my school (with the instant classic, "My Mysterious Double") and then followed up with another 6th grade win for "Anteater's Reluctant Journey". So that success got into my veins and my career goal was set in stone. It's been a whirlwind career path and now, only 30+ YEARS LATER, my dreams of becoming a published author are coming true! One tip: Time does NOT fly while you're waiting for your dreams to come true. It drags, like a sloth stuck in quicksand. But never, ever give up and all that.
Check out my debut YA novel, ZENN DIAGRAM (KCP Loft hardcover 4/4/17, paperback 4/3/18), available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target.com, and independent bookstores near you!