WHY WRITE?

For me it's simple, I couldn't live without it. Writing helps me to feel grounded. If I go too long without putting pen to paper, I feel off balance. Now I may not be tapping away on my keyboard every day but I'm constantly thinking about the manuscript that I'm working on, the characters that are milling around in my head.

Th first time I wrote a story was in the first grade when my teacher Mrs. Peterson said we could write and illustrate our very own books. She then typed up our words and had the books lamented. I couldn't believe that I was able to write whatever I wanted. I still have my 86 word picture book and that is all I needed to get started on my journey as an author.

I wrote poetry in high school and beagn (and never finished) my first novel senior year. Then I majored in Creative Writing in college and that is where I really found my voice. I love writing young adult novels because that is where I feel most comfortable. After college I panicked, quickly went back to school and got my Masters in Advertising. For a few years I wrote copy and then took a job teaching English, which finally steered me back to my one true love: writing young adult fiction.

I'm passionate about writing but I love to connect with readers. If even one person can get something from my book, Shrinking Violet, then I think I've done my job. If you're really shy like my main character Tere, or even if you're not, I hope you can relate to her in some way. We all have our place in life, we just have to find it.

So why do you write or what type of book do you like to read?