Okay, let's get
the basic intro's out of the way. I'm a 28 year old writer living in California,
with my two boys (ages 8 & 15mo) and my old high school sweetheart. It's
funny how things ended up that way, but that's another story in itself.
I've been writing for nearly forever (okay, not really, see following
paragraphs) and I try to balance my writing in between my family life and
working full time for the state doing taxes. By the way, I hate math. I love
writing for children although I have written non-fiction and adult. I get a lot
of my ideas from my life. I can take the tiniest situation or craziest person
and twist it into a story. Who knows, you may read about yourself in one of my
books someday without even realizing it!
In the Beginning...
The first time I held a pencil and learned to write...I wanted to become a baton twirler (bet you thought I was going to say writer, huh?). Just like my mom. I was more entertained by that pencil than the actual words it created on paper. I soon, however, moved onto bigger and better things. First a mop, then a broom. Yes, I was still stuck on the twirling. Finally my mom bought me one of those
tinsel filled batons with sparkling streamers at each end. After awhile, I got that out of my system and moved onto sillier
things.
In the Middle...
With my baton twirling days behind me, I was now infatuated with cheerleading. My poor, younger brother had to put up with me as I jumped around the living room while on a sugar high from chocolate milk (90% chocolate). I used to say, "Tell me I'll be the greatest cheerleader in the world!" until he would finally put down the remote and give me that reassurance. He was eight years old.
My Ah-Ha Moment...
So when did I actually know when I wanted to be a writer? I was in 6th grade. My teacher, Mr. Bowen, gave us a class assignment. While having the class listen to relaxing music, we were to write anything and everything that came to mind. I ended up writing a pretty lengthy story. A few weeks later, my teacher told me how he
entered my story into a writing contest. and I won! I couldn't believe I had written something that someone else was interested in. It was a great feeling. So when the teacher had us post
a sign in the classroom that said "What I want to be when I grow up," mine said "Author."
Tidbits
of Random Info...
I've only been in an airplane once, but never actually
landed in it.
I have a total fear of moths. And butterflies.
But, I have
butterfly tattoos.
I jump every time I open a can of biscuits and hear that
anticipated "popping" sound. Every time.
I've seen the movie "A Christmas Story" about a million times, but
never watch the whole movie in one sitting.
I once applied to be on the Tyra Banks show.
I once contemplated taking someone to Judge Judy (wouldn't that be fun?)
I have Decidophobia. I think. That's the fear of making decisions.
I was once afraid of my son's talking Tubbie. Seriously, those things are
scary in the dark!
The first time I ever got the chicken pox, I was 20 years old.
I've had to get stitches in my thumb from opening a can of cat food.
I had to go to "thumb therapy" for months after getting stitches in
that same thumb from cutting chicken.
I once shut a locked car door completely on my finger as my mom tried to
drive away. Luckily, I still have my finger.
I've witnessed hundreds of funerals, but have only been to one funeral for
someone I actually knew.
