Bio

 

The “Not-So-Serious” Version

When I was seven, I was certain I wanted to be a writer. (I was also certain I wanted to be a mermaid, a princess, and later, a member of the Spice Girls, so I don’t blame anyone for not taking the writing dream seriously.) To my credit, I did start “self-publishing” my own books around the same age. This was back before self-publishing was an actual thing. My version involved cardboard wrapped in old wallpaper samples, secured with electrical tape (see image below.)

Somewhere along the way though, I grew up and convinced myself that writing wasn’t a “real job.” So I went out and got myself one of those. I majored in Economics and became a financial analyst, spending most of my days staring at spreadsheets (which to be fair, I actually enjoyed a lot.) But the writing bug never went away. So I started writing in my spare time and when I got laid off from my job in 2005, I decided it was a sign from the universe (technically it was just a corporate buy-out but tomato, tom-ah-to.)

My first few novel attempts flopped (pretty par for the course, I’ve learned). That’s when I found the Save the Cat! method and it completely transformed my understanding of storytelling. My first novel came out from St. Martin’s Press in 2008 and I’ve been writing ever since! (Although I still use spreadsheets to track my daily word count goals. What can I say? Old habits die hard.)

What else can I tell you?

I’m squeamish about belly buttons and the word “pocketbook” (it’s not a book and it doesn’t go in your pocket? Let’s just be rational about this.) My favorite Pixar movie is Inside Out. I had the slowest recorded “mile” in my elementary school history but now run half-marathons on a regular basis (talk about a character arc!) I can’t whistle (and no, it’s not as simple as just putting your lips together and blowing. I’ve tried.) I’m obsessed with The Great British Bake-Off and make a point to pronounce as many spices in my kitchen as possible with a British accent. (Why say “oregano,” when you can say “ore-gah-no” and make life that much more interesting?) I’m also obsessed with Taylor Swift (who isn’t?), the TV show Death in Paradise (locked room mysteries on a tropical island? What’s not to love?), and my Peloton bike (I have more 80s Pop Rides bookmarked than anyone could take in a lifetime).

My favorite place to visit is Paris (France, not Texas, but no offense to Texas). My favorite place to write is in my office with noise-cancelling headphones. But hands-down, my favorite place to be is on my couch, reading a good book, with my dog snoring softly (and sometimes not so softly) beside me. ♥️