When people ask “where did you grow up?” I have to answer “pick one.” My family moved often enough that I can call a lot of places home, including Oregon, Washington State, Colorado, New York State, Arizona, and Texas. I’ve lived in Utah for fifteen years now and I have children who’ve never known a home anywhere else.

Throughout all those moves, reading has been a constant in my life, and even now I remember places based on what I was reading at the time: the Dragonriders of Pern books in New York, the Foundation series in Texas, Crown Duel in Utah. I’ve worked as a librarian twice, once as a shelver in the public library and once supervising the collection of a small private school, both of which taught me a lot about people’s reading habits and how to match the perfect book with its perfect reader.

I never thought to write fiction until a few years ago; I studied young adult literature in college and went on to write literary essays and reviews for many years. I had the idea for my first book, EMISSARY, and just for fun decided to see if I could turn it into a novel. It was hard, and exciting, and more fun than anyone ought to be allowed to have, so I kept at it. I’m always in the process of writing something new, and I love the joy of starting a new project.

When I’m not writing or reading, I’m spending time with my family binge-watching anime shows or playing Arkham Horror. I also do some costume sewing, jewelry making and repair, and paint fantasy miniatures for whatever role-playing game I’m currently part of. I’m a terrible cook and a worse gardener, and I live with four cats, all of them extremely needy.