I knew in second grade that I wanted to be an author when I grew up. Thank you, Beverly Cleary for the inspiration. Though my attention to math, science and social studies wandered, blocks of creative writing time , and free reading had me riveted.  An introverted kid, I filled notebooks with stories and poems. The writing continued through high school, though when I started college, I thought mostly about getting a real job someday, and didn’t see how writing would be that “real job”. With a young family, I graduated from college with a teaching degree. I taught preschool, and then substitute taught elementary school for several years, while writing on the side. Then, I took the crazy plunge, quitting my teaching job and beginning to submit my stories for publication. I received a mountain of rejection letters, and made every mistake known to writers just starting out, but eventually sold my first story. I was hooked!

Frequently Asked Questions:

1) Do you have a family?

Married to my firefighter husband, Darwin, we have three children. Adam and his wife, Janelle live in Cedar Rapids, IA. Hanna is in graduate school at the University of Minnesota, and lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Noah. Will is our 17 year old junior is high school. We’re lucky to live close to both sets of grandparents and some of our siblings, too. Having exended family around is wonderful. Our good friends and their kids are our family, too!

2)  What about pets?

I was hoping you'd ask!  We have a lovely dog,

Dixie who we got from our local Humane Society.  Dixie was a stray, found running loose at a state park in our city.  She was skinny, scared, and without tags. The Humane Society rescued her and believed that she would make someone a great dog, and they were right!  Dixie is a Rottweiler mix and is calm, happy, gentle and affectionate.  Rottweilers are good "loungers"... after a good walk in the morning, Dixie is more than content to hang out with the family, sprawled out and snoring.  She's an excellent Frisbee catcher and enjoys toys (and food) of every kind. 

Our cat is named Karmen, and we also got her from the Humane Society.  Karmen was three years old when she was taken from a home that had 22 animals living in it.  She had been neglected, and had a raft of health problems that the shelter took care of before we adopted her.  Karmen is a most unusual cat who can work my last nerve, depending on the day.  She grooms Dixie every day, and is an excellent Mama to a variety of small stuffed animals, kleenexes, socks, barrettes, etc.  She once adopted a raw potato as a baby, and spends lots of time cuddling and "nursing" these inanimate objects.  So weird.  She greets us at the door, answers when you say hello to her, and will join any activity we're doing.  She has a HUGE belly and a little head as you can see, and her nature is utterly sweet and completely odd.

3) Do you illustrate your books, too?

If you saw the way I draw, you would know why I don’t illustrate my books! When our family plays Pictionary and it's my time to draw, no one can ever guess what I'm drawing.   When I write, though, I can imagine how the illustrations might look. The publisher does the creative work of matching my writing with an illustrator and it's always exciting to see the words come to life with illustration. 

4) Where do you get your ideas?

I’m kind of a sponge--most writers and illustrators are.  Sometimes ideas come from my own childhood memories, sometimes from things that have happened to our children, sometimes from outside sources like newspapers or the internet, and sometimes, I feel like I'm handed one as a present! Do you ever get ideas as you're falling asleep?  I do, too!

5)  Any hobbies?

Yep. Mostly outdoor stuff.  As a family, we like canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and biking.  I would like to say I'm a gardener, but what is more accurate is that I have three square foot gardens that I like to grow things in. I volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and at our church, and I love to read-- mostly non-fiction, and particularly biographies. Oh, children's books, too!! For fun on a budget we do things like walk the dogs at the Humane Society, or sit around the campfire in our backyard. Simple pleasures!

6) Do you ever have writer’s block?

Sure! What that usually means is that I need to spend more time reading and less time “trying to write”. It comes most often when I’m pressuring myself-- so relaxing, reading and brainstorming help immensely. Hanging out with kids is another sure-fire way to “un-block”. I have lots of little friends in our community who help me not take a writing life so seriously...what a blessing!

7) Do you have a favorite kind of character to write about?

I love rascally characters and quiet, thoughtful characters, too. Kids who are right on the edge and have a sense of adventure are so fun to write about. On the other extreme-- it's interesting to write about shy, quiet kids, too, who notice things that others don’t and feel things that others are aren’t aware of feeling. 

8) Any advice for people who want to write for children?

Approach it with the idea that there will always be so much to learn in this field. Keep dollar signs and best seller lists out of your mind as you write, and focus on writing what really matters to you or would have made you laugh (or cry!) as a kid. Don’t send in every story you write-- send in only what you consider your very best. When you get a rejection letter, realize you are not alone--make the necessary changes and then try again. And again. Keep your mind and heart open as you read good books for children, study children, and write for children. Patience, hard work, and a light spirit go a long way! (A thick skin doesn’t hurt either!)

8) Any advice for kids who like to write?

Read, read, read! Write, write, write! Share what you’ve written with others, even when you're nervous about it, and save everything. When you’re an author someday, you’ll want to look back on the stories and poems you wrote what you were 9 years old. Also, if your hand gets tired before your brain runs out of ideas, typing can help. (That’s what I do!) Celebrate the gift you’ve been given-- the world needs writers just like you!