Who You Are:  I’m an author originally from CT. I grew up spending the summers barefoot picking wild raspberries in the woods. Now I live in CA with my family and dream about picking wild raspberries in the woods.     I wrote The Wish Stealers after I saw someone stealing coins out of a public fountain. I just stood there in shock as he dipped his hand in the water and scooped coins/wishes into his cup. It wasn’t enough to write about at first, but then something happened—someone hurt my feelings. I told someone an idea I had, and instead of saying go for it, or give it a try, this person told me all the ways it could fail before I even tried. I slashed on a yellow Post-it note with my pen: WISH STEALER! Suddenly the two ideas clicked and that began the story of The Wish Stealers. 

What You Write: I wrote The Wish Stealers, a middle grade 300-page novel published by Simon & Schuster. The book was just nominated by the states of AZ, CA, and FL for state awards to be one of fifteen books all kids in the state should read. It also won a California Readers Award recommended to be in every state and public library in California.

 Why You Write: I write because I deeply love words and stories.  I love creating a story that can uplift, help, and comfort a child. I think books can change and save a life. Certainly some books I read as a child made a profound impact on my life: how I saw the world and even how I saw myself.  If, as a writer I can even come close to creating something as meaningful for a child as those books that touched me, then I will feel like I added something good to this world.

What Your Kids Are Reading: Magic Tree House books all the way!

Your Childhood Favorites:  I was profoundly impacted byAnne of Green Gables. I loved how Anne was tough and smart and did not compromise her deepest sense of self – she had great personal integrity. My main character, Griffin Penshine, has red hair “like a gussied-up copper penny.” I chose her hair color as a tribute to Anne of Green Gables who is a famous redhead in literature. I also loved all theChoose Your Own Adventure books, which I still think are so much fun to read!