1980s
As a child of the ’80s, I rocked the side ponytail, slap bracelets, and Lisa Frank stationery; today, I absolutely sing along every time I hear “Don’t Stop Believin'”
1995
Forget presents—I wrote my first story as a gift to a friend
1996
My first taste of success came from a publishing credit in a poetry anthology for a poem about James and the Giant Peach
2000
Seeing Les Misérables led to a lot of tears and a passion for musical theatre
2002
As a gift for my high school graduation, my parents gave me the typewriter shown above; they’ve always supported my desire to make a living with words
2004
To that end, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a concentration in creative writing
2005
Over a few freezing days in February, I attended the annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York and also saw Wicked for the first time
2007
Putting that college degree to work, I embarked on a career as an editor at an advertising agency
2007
It was a big year—I also married my hubby on the stage of the Southern Theatre, central Ohio’s oldest surviving theatre
2011
Over seven hot days in July, I attended the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, gaining amazing insight into the craft of writing and loads of inspiration
2012
After having a baby girl, I took a little break from writing to focus on keeping a tiny human alive
2019
Believing in the power of a good deed, our family organized a Kindness Crusade, during which we completed 100 kind acts in a single day, a feat that was as rewarding as it was exhausting
2021
Ready for a new adventure, I started a job as a marketing manager for a healthcare technology company that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of patients
2022
Fulfilling a dream 19 years in the making, Winding Road Stories called to say they wanted to publish my young adult novel I’ll Be There for You
And now I…
Have a minor obsession with making flavored lattes at home using my 27 bottles of syrup
Combine my love of musicals and writing by creating a playlist as the “cast album” for every book I write
Spend way too much supporting local independent bookstores, but justify it as an act of kindness