My life began suddenly (you can even ask my mother) in a little house outside of Cleveland, Ohio.  I was born right on the family room floor—no time to get to the hospital! I swear, I’ve been in a hurry ever since.

When I was in fourth grade we moved to a neighborhood outside of Schenectady, New York. My dad worked for a company that sold some of the finest printing papers in all the land. He often brought home big beautiful books that were so heavy they pinned me to my chair when I held them in my lap. I loved to look at the photography and illustrations and smell the ink.

As a kid, I took dancing lessons and did gymnastics. I could be found upside-down in odd places like the middle of the stairway—not that I recommend it! My bedroom was a messy nest full of paint sets and paper scraps, embroidery threads and sewing projects. In school, I was good at some things and not at all good at others. I always had an unwavering passion for creative endeavors. I went to college, first at SUNY, Cobleskill, and later at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art

At first, I was interested in children’s books from an illustrator’s point of view. The writing part was always there, but it took me a while to acknowledge that. I sense that studying art taught me a lot about writing. I finally realized that my heart and head were full of story and that I should pay attention! My ideas come from everyday life, and I write for readers of all ages

I live in the Connecticut woods with my husband, where we relish the changing seasons. Our kids are big. They come and go a lot now, trying on homes of their own in various parts of the world. We keep the bird feeders full, garden a little, and stack walls of firewood to keep our home fires burning. Every morning, I hike or ski the trails near my home with our three (mostly) loyal rescue dogs. I think about my work while I’m out there. Once I get back home, I make a pot of tea. Then the dogs and I get to work.

What do I do on a writing break? Well, I still love to create—everything from art collages to artisan pizzas and pots of soup. I also love to bike to town and meet friends. I like to believe that every plot problem can be solved over a good cup of Earl Grey tea… and maybe a piece of dark chocolate.