Please share your bio with us and anything else you would
like readers to know.
I
grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my loving parents and five siblings.
Ever since I was little, I had an interest in writing. In fact, when I was in
the fourth grade, I completed a career project and dressed as an author with
dreams of writing my own book one day.
I
attended Duquesne University with a double major in political science and
English with intentions of attending law school after graduation. While
studying abroad in Rome, Italy, I had a change of heart and decided to continue
my education at Duquesne studying elementary education instead.
I
currently teach in Pittsburgh and hope to be an inspiration to my students to
follow their dreams. I am getting married in summer 2014!
What are some
of the things that have influenced/inspired
your writing?
My dad, who published a children’s novel
last November, has been a major influence on my writing. Growing up, he would
always help me with my papers. Because of that, I adopted some of his writing
techniques. I used writing in my everyday life, whether it was a paper or diary
entry. Writing was an outlet for me.
Can you share some writing
experiences with us?
In college, anytime I wrote a
paper, which was many of them since I English was one of my majors, I always
listened to the band, The Fray. I would sit at my desk with headphones in and
just type. I ALWAYS waited until the last minute to turn my papers in. I am a
procrastinator who works best under pressure and I would get in my zone with
The Fray and just write. I got a lot of As on my papers.
Like all
authors, you have had your fair share of rejection letters. You obviously did
not let the letters deter you. How did you keep your determination without
getting discouraged?
I got lucky
and didn’t get a rejection letter. I believe it was apart of God’s plan.
Please describe to us your relationship
between you and your editor. What makes an author/editor relationship a
success?
An author/editor relationship
requires patience and understanding. The author has to remove any kind of
feeling from the book and realize that though the author may be good with
words, the editor knows the way in which they flow the best. My editor did a
wonderful job of taking out the “telling” I was doing in the story. She did
however; take out my favorite part in the story where the bullies end up coming
to Ollie for him to teach them his cool words. I think that is such a special
moment, and I just couldn’t get rid of it.
Tell us about your writing space.
It depends on the year. I have a Macbook. The places I go
with it are endless!
How do you see the future of book publishing, both
traditional, electronic and print on demand?
Well, two years ago, I went to King of Prussia Mall. All I
wanted to purchase was the Hunger Games series. After an hour of searching for
a bookstore, I ended up calling the information desk. Would you believe that
they do not have a book store in that GIANT mall?! I was so upset. I am one who
LOVES the smell of the paper, the feel of turning to the next page, and the
feeling of accomplishment after physically seeing the book you just read.
With that said, I think there is an inevitable decline of a
traditional book. Until then, I will continue to support the local libraries
and bookstores.
What advice
would you give to a new writer?
Keep writing!
Believe in yourself and your work.
Use this
space to tell us more about your book’s characters. Anything you want your
readers to know. Include information on where to find your book(s), any blogs
you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and/or your book(s).
Ollie is not confident. He hasn’t
learned the value in loving himself yet.
Pip is his sassy sister who is
learning to fly. She gives Ollie the confidence he needs to overcome his
obstacle. For that, she is my most favorite character I have ever created.
I thank you for taking the time to share with our readers
about being an author.
In the second story of the Virginia Templeton series, Virginia had a
setback in her marriage and was forced to make some very tough
decisions. When she discovered her husband was not the man she thought
he was, she didn’t panic; she took action. 
