About Me
Q. Where were you born, and how old are you?
A. I was born in Denver, Colorado on June 2, 1950. I'll let you do the math, but just know that you're only as old as you feel, and I feel great! Writing for children definitely keeps me young!
Q. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
A. I was blessed with wonderful, hardworking parents and a big loving family. I have four brothers (Pat, Bob, Bill, and Tom) and four sisters (Ginny, Karen, Peggy, and MaryBeth). It was always noisy, chaotic, interesting, fun, and very crowded at our house. I was the oldest girl (I have one older brother), so I had a lot of responsibility with chores and caring for my younger siblings. Maybe that's why children have always been such an important part of my life.
Q. Where did you go to school?
A. I went to Brown Elementary School in Denver until 3rd grade. Then we moved to Westminster, a suburb north of Denver, where I attended Skyline Vista Elementary and Hodgkins Junior High. I loved school and was a very good student. My favorite subjects were always reading and writing, and both are still two of my favorite things to do.
I graduated from Westminster High School and was very involved in student government. Mademoiselle Kelting taught French and was my favorite teacher. I can't say that I remember all that much French, but I definitely remember her long red curly hair and her spunky personality. One day, she'll make a great character for a book.
My first two years of college were spent in Galesburg, Illinois at Knox College, and then I transferred back home and graduated with a degree in special education from the University of Northern Colorado. My graduate work was done at the same university where I received my elementary school teaching license.
Q. What other jobs did you have besides writing?
A. I had lots of jobs like babysitter, retail clerk, waitress, camp counselor, and factory worker, but teaching elementary school was where I spent the bulk of my professional career. For twenty years I taught special ed, talented and gifted students, 6th and 8th grade English, 5th, and 2nd graders. But my all-time favorite job was being a stay-at-home mom for fifteen years in the middle of my teaching career.
Q. How many children do you have?
A. My wonderful husband, Pete, and I have three great kids. Stephanie is an orthodontist, David teaches high school English, and Annie is a dentist. My husband was a science teacher so it seems that the girls followed in his footsteps while David was influenced by my love of reading, language, and books. Allergies kept us from having pets, but thankfully, we don't have any allergies to grandchildren. In fact, we have five beautiful grandkids—three girls and two boys—who we see every chance we get.
Q. What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?
A. That's easy. Read, read, read, and write, write, write! Even when you'd rather be doing something else, make books a regular part of your day.
