About ME

I grew up the second oldest of eight kids in Colonial Heights, Virginia. When I wasn’t swimming, acting, making up slightly disturbing songs, or filming B-movie parodies with my friends and family, I was writing and illustrating stories. After graduating from the University of Virginia, I moved to Chicago to perform improvisational comedy. I worked as a paralegal and corporate writer until I landed my dream job: Editor of Spider, a literary magazine for six- to nine-year-olds. As Editor, I collaborated with authors, poets, and illustrators to highlight their many talents.

As a freelancer, I wrote children’s nonfiction books for Ripley's Believe It or Not (Scholastic), Cherry Lake Publishing, and Black Rabbit Books. I've written features and fiction for Discovery Girls, Spider, and Click magazines.

My debut middle-grade novel, Payback on Poplar Lane (Viking Children's/Penguin Random House), was released in early 2018. The sequel, President of Poplar Lane (Viking Children's/Penguin Random House), was released in February 2019.