About Me

Hey There!

I can't tell you the first book I ever read, but I can tell you the first one I remember, "No, David" by David Shannon. I was fascinated that the book's main character shared the author's name. Perhaps for the first time, I realized there is a living person behind every story. I knew this was where I wanted to find myself one day. I began to imagine authors' lives as I read and rarely finished a book that didn't entice me to send a letter to the author. I had unearthed a tantalizing secret: reading is a chance to know someone.

As a child, whenever I was asked what superpower I would pick, my go-to power was mind reading. I wanted to understand others. So, imagine my excitement when I learned this was a superpower I could possess. This was the power of reading. People put their minds on display every day if you are willing to look. Upon this discovery, I could not look away. Of course, I grew out of "No, David." I came to prefer "The Mysterious Benedict Society," then "Nancy Drew" (the namesake of my dog), and "Esperanza Rising." Soon, even these favorites changed, morphing into "The Bell Jar," "The Bluest Eye," and anything Edgar Allan Poe. Today, the cruelest thing you could ever ask me is to pick a favorite book or author. There are too many great stories and great storytellers out there.

I am drawn to the beauty of language, the way a sentence flows, and the fact that 26 letters can hold every perceivable meaning. That is the seed for my love of writing. I write because stories need to be told, and people need to be heard. I write to challenge people's understanding of the world around them.

I believe that writing and reading are communicative acts that connect people with other people, ideas, knowledge, and more. When I write, I aim to create a piece that will resonate with the audience on multiple levels by first meeting them where they are and then providing content that takes them somewhere new.