Where do you live, and do you have a job in addition to being an author?

I live in Homer, NY. I run a little book nook, called Happily Ever After, inside Linani’s Bakery on Main St. When my shop was in a larger location I hosted literary events for kids every month. You can still see photos of some of my special guests and happenings on this web site. Now I have fun planning special activities with the bakery.

When did your writing career begin?

Though I’ve wanted to be an author since I was a child, I didn’t begin writing until 1993. My first sale - a short story to a teen magazine - came in 1996. Walker and Company published my first novel, Dear Mrs. Ryan, You’re Ruining My Life in 2000. The (Short) Story of My Life, also published by Walker, came out in April, 2004. 

How long does it take to write a story, and how many drafts do you write?

I write on a computer and revise as I go so it is difficult to tell how many drafts I do before I have a finished piece. It took me a year and a half to write my first novel and about a half a year to write the second one. Sometimes I am able to write a short story in a couple days; other times it takes months to complete one.

How long do you write every day? Where do you write?

Some days I will write for an hour or two after work. On a day off I may spend the entire day writing. I wrote my first book in a little office space I had arranged in a corner of our store room. The room was hot in the summer and cold in the winter, so I wrote my second book on my laptop while sitting on my bed! Now I have a new office in my home and am eager to finish another book.

What about your family and pets?

My husband Morgan is a fire captain. We have a son and a daughter, Joshua and Aubrey, who are grown. Joshua and his wife Amy have a daughter named Ainsley. Aubrey and her husband Ryan have a daughter named Emma. That means I have two precious granddaughters! Two cats, Shadow and Willow, share our home with us. And two neighborhood cats that we call Tigger and Spook stop by frequently for a visit and treats.

What are your favorite colors?

My favorite colors, which happen to be the colors of my house, are blue and yellow. (Blue and yellow are also the colors of the Swedish flag! See the next question.)

Where did you spend your best vacation?

One of my favorite vacations was a trip to Denmark and Sweden a few years ago to visit a dear friend who had lived with my family as an exchange student when we were teenagers. I also have wonderful memories of summers at a cottage on a lake in Pennsylvania that my childhood family rented when I was small. Last summer my parents, my sisters and their families, and my family all returned to that magical place for a family reunion!

What do you like to read?

I like most to read mysteries and humorous, realistic, and historical fiction.

Who is your best friend?

My best friend is Audrey Ryan. She is the principal of two elementary schools. She is not the Mrs. Ryan from my first book!

There's more information
about me on my
bio page!

Read about the
awards my books have won!

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