I have been, at various times, a ballet dancer, a model, an art restoration apprentice, a cake cutter, a newspaper delivery girl, a nanny, and a biologist. Currently, I’m a freelance writer and live in Portland, Oregon, with my husband, two kids, and a flock of charismatic chickens.
I grew up reading and re-reading The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. I even managed to convince my 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Wolf, that I had a two-track mind, which enabled me to read and listen at the same time. I hung with an “artsy” crowd in high school and never considered being a scientist even though I loved camping, hiking, canoeing and being in the woods.
In 1994, I found myself in Costa Rica snorkeling for tagged conches with a field biologist named Luis. Waves slopped over my head as I treaded water, held a conch, and got a lecture in Spanish about mollusk reproduction. That sealed the deal. I wanted a job like that.
Research science had its pleasures, but it also seriously cut into family time. Now I express my love for the natural world in a different way.
Never one to take a straight path when there is a twisty one heading into the forest, I am somewhat surprised, but completely delighted, to be writing for young readers.
If you’re looking for me, you’re most likely to find me in a canoe, in a tent, in the garden, or on my laptop. I believe in the power of telling stories to launch lives of adventure and help us be our best selves.
My favorite words: “Tell me a story!”
