About Me
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Writing
I live in Oklahoma with my husband, Russell, and our five kids who make sure life is never boring, (or quiet). I love revisiting the bookish worlds of my childhood with my kids, and I've found that if I buy enough new books to keep them occupied, I can eek out just enough time to write my own. Books taught me so much growing up, and I want kids who struggle with non-visible disabilities and diseases (like me and so many of the people I love!) to be able to see themselves in a strong main character. Because our struggles and how we power through them shape who we become, it's so important for kids to have books full of imperfect, realistic characters that struggle in the same ways. That's what I love to write!
Inspiration
One of the perks of having a big family is that there's always someone saying something completely unhinged. Or maybe that's just my family. Either way, these kids give me so much fodder on a daily basis that I have to wade through it to decide what to write about. The best way for me to get past writers block is to go on a walk and listen to them talk about their day. Or just watch them. So many of the things that happen in my books have been inspired by these hooligans.
Things I love
- Fall colors
- Nature walks
- Exploring new places with my family
- 4 year olds (it's my favorite age)
- Kids saying off the wall things
- Teaming up with my siblings to embarrass my mom in public (Don't worry, she likes it.)
- Talking through plot holes with my husband
- Introducing my kids to the fictional worlds of my childhood
- The mountains
- Dr. Pepper
- Companies that clearly label things gluten free
- The satisfying clickity-clack of a keyboard when the words are flowing