About Me
I am a writer and book coach, living my best life in far Northern California. I have published four novels for young adults (the Gilt series, Viking Children’s, 2012-2014, and Manor of Secrets, Scholastic, 2014) and written several others. So, I have not only experienced the joy and satisfaction of seeing my books on shelves in bookshops and libraries but felt the pain and self-doubt caused by rejection at the query and submission level. I have also—more than once—made the difficult decision to stop pursuing a story that I’d spent months or years on, because I knew it wasn’t working. I have been in the trenches, and I know what it’s like to be in the heat of battle and to rise again.
I’ve always written, but decided I wanted to be a writer when I discovered traveling. I have circumnavigated the globe twice, spent months (literally and metaphorically) at sea, and lived for five years in England. When I turned to fiction, I gathered all my experience and interests and traveled into the past through research in hopes of making history feel as real as, say, Africa. I now apply that commitment and focus (and research) to book coaching and writing contemporary fiction for adults.
I am a former participant of the Free Expressions Story Lab, currently taking classes through the Novelry, subscribe to multiple industry blogs on craft and the publishing world, and am a certified Author Accelerator book coach. I love learning, and every class I take inspires my writing and makes me a better coach.
I am also a part-time bookseller, which gives me unique insight into the other side of the process—the readers. For many of us, this is our goal. To communicate, to make that connection. To entertain, yes, but mostly to share stories that will then (hopefully) be shared again. Booksellers are like bartenders—we listen. And by listening, I have learned so much about what people read—and re-read—and why.
I bring all that knowledge and experience and equipment on the bus of the coaching journey.
I am a writer, just like you are. Every book I start is different, every single one requires a different skill set. I say I’m on the journey with you because I am, every step of the way.
