Why I Started Writing:

I have always been a writer, journaler, and creator of stories. As a child and a teenager, writing kept me company and helped me sort out my feelings. As a journalist on parenting topics as an adult, my goal is to write articles that could inspire others to be more intentional and self-aware in their parenting journey. I wanted to write picture books to break down complicated topics and emotions into stories that both children and adults can understand, enjoy, and identify.

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

For children’s books, I love Cori Doerrfeld’s work (The Rabbit Listened), because she does a great job of presenting simple-to-understand children’s stories on a foundation of complex feelings. Similarly, Max Lucado’s You Are Special shows our worth in God’s eyes through a village of wooden puppets. I love Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree and many of his children’s poems for this reason, too. Others I love: Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, John Hendrix’s Miracle Man and The Faithful Spy, Patricia C. McKissack’s What Is Given from the Heart.

For adult nonfiction books, I love Lysa TerKeurst’s honesty and biblical perspective. Francis Chan’s and Philip Yancey’s work has challenged me to be a more committed Christ follower. In Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, I love seeing God’s hand in very difficult circumstances. I also love memoirs: The Glass Castle, Angela’s Ashes, Hillbilly Elegy, When I Lay My Isaac Down, to name a few.

Books I Have Written:

Victor and the Vroom (December 2019) is my first children’s book. It’s about a regular car with an extraordinary engine, based on my son’s ADHD diagnosis.

What I'm Working On Now:

I am revisiting and revising a nonfiction picture book manuscript I wrote a couple of years ago. It’s about a beloved tree in 1930s Colorado, and the community’s fight to save it when the state wanted to build a road where it stood. I’d also love to write a picture book based on the book of Esther, but I’m still working on an angle that would resonate with children.