I went from being the kid who would nearly cry at the thought of reading aloud in class to doing read-alouds of my books. I went from having English be my favorite school subject to English being a subject that I teach. I went from being a premature baby to being the mother of a premature baby. These are some of the essential beats that are a part of my book of life.
Since I can remember, I’ve always loved to read (everything from Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club series to R.L Stine’s Fear Street series) and to write (poems, short stories, and in my diary). My family is full of a quirky cast of characters, and they’ve inspired me in ways I can’t even explain. Specifically, I credit my mom, aunt, and grandmother for nurturing my creative interests early on. They always offered encouragement, notebooks & paper, and rides to the library. They were also some of the best storytellers that I’ve ever known who lived life on their own terms and were not shy about sharing their experiences. Because of them, I have learned to fully listen to, observe, and appreciate the richness of the stories of how people navigate the world.
In a world that can feel equally overwhelming and isolating, I am glad to be someone who can create stories that connect with readers who yearn to feel seen, understood, accepted, appreciated, and maybe even loved.
