About

Thank you for visiting my site! I was born, raised and educated in Ohio. In August 2019, I became a full-time resident of a suburb of Charleston, South Carolina. I live near my younger daughter, Jess, her husband, Ben, and their young children, Joanna and Hazel. My older daughter, Paige, along with her husband Tom, live in San Francisco with children Sara, a student at UCLA Law School, Tyler, a student at the University of Colorado, and Isabella, a recent graduate of Ole Miss. I am the author of nearly two dozen picture books, early readers, and chapter books and about 100 elementary science and reading texts.

Before becoming a children’s author, I taught high school for two years and then enrolled in Ohio State’s master’s program in Journalism. In return for tuition and a stipend, I wrote two feature articles a week for the hometown newspapers of students enrolled in the university’s honors program. I learned that everyone has a story!

After graduating, I worked in a variety of jobs, including teaching newswriting for two years at Ohio State. I also covered and wrote books about academic conferences for OSU that included traveling with faculty to American and European universities. Later, I worked as an in-house copywriter for an advertising agency and as the marketing director for a company that provided training for people starting small businesses. I also wrote ad copy for textbooks published by McGraw-Hill and other publishers. This winding career path eventually led me to write nonfiction texts for children and, later, to the more creative picture books that I now write.

Relative to the rest of the world, my family and I have led privileged lives. That’s why, for many years, I have sponsored children through World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children of all faiths in more than 100 developing countries. I am also a long-time supporter of Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit organization based in Minnesota that coordinates the distribution of food to hungry children around the world.

Like most writers, I am also a voracious reader. I especially enjoy historical fiction and biographies. I have practiced yoga for 35 years with more enthusiasm than skill. I like doing vinyasas and can hold a steady downward-facing dog, but will never attempt a head stand. I also enjoy gardening, biking, brisk walking, and traveling.