My love of reading comes from my mother, a teacher. And my love of storytelling comes from my father, a preacher. As a painfully shy kid, books for me always felt like a safe place where it was OK to be a fly on the wall.

For most of my elementary school years, I struggled with a speech impediment that made me reluctant to speak at all. But whenever I wrote, it was different . . . writing was the one place where I felt fully myself .

Fast forward to adulthood. I became a school psychologist. I loved the brainwork of building students up and helping them see their own strengths. Education, specifically literacy, is one of the greatest intervention tools I know. It can level playing fields, introduce new perspectives, and open up worlds.

As an author, I think a lot about these same topics. What can I say to help kids see their best selves? How can I use storytelling to help them understand others? How can use my words to showcase LOVE?

Outside of writing, I enjoy digging up carrots in my garden. I’m married to Eli, the kindest person I know. Three lovely humans call me “Mom.” And one dog, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Cruella Deville, insists on lying across my feet while I write.