Me, age 8

Me, now

Sometimes, I like to sit in a chair and write in a spiral notebook. Later, I go to my computer at my desk.

What I Do When I'm Not Writing:


I've been an advocate for better education for all children, but especially for military children, who change schools way too many times, and gifted children, whose needs are often minimized and forgotten. Some of the inspiration for Letters From Rapunzel and Operation Yes came from my experiences advocating for the needs of my own two children in several school districts around the country.

I’m also a member of MCEC (Military Child Education Coalition) and a longtime member of SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators)

I also love: fitness (yoga, hiking and golf), theater (particularly Shakespeare), poetry, reading, outdoor active travel, and fairy tales.


Me, with some of the MANY letters I have written

Interview: Everything (and then some) about me, blogging, and writing... plus "the one thing most people don't know about me"...all at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

About Me

Some books on my desk

1) My favorite book is The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander.

2) Growing up, I had a hard time talking to people, so I often wrote letters to them instead.

3) I almost became an actress, a physicist, a diplomat, or an Air Force officer. Instead, I became a writer, which lets me be anything I want.



I love it when my books arrive

I like drama

Drama Geeks (which one is me?)

In Operation Yes, the kids in Room 208 learn how to make things up on the spot---an acting skill called improvisation. (Improv for short.)

My first time doing improv was in high school. I was in a group with two boys, and we had to make up a scene using the words cactus, diamond, and cowboy. I wound up playing the cactus. My name was Polly Pricklebutt.


Popcorn Cake

I love popcorn. So far, I've managed to work the word POPCORN into every book.


What's my favorite time and place to read? What do I think makes a book a classic? Head over to Becky's Book Reviews and find out. Leave a comment over there if you wish!

My Books

Middle Grade Fiction
read it now
Winner of the Ursula Nordstrom Fiction Contest
Find Authors