It's Nice To Meet You

If you're new here, welcome welcome! I've had a lot of new email list sign ups over the last couple of months, and I thought it would be a good time to share a little bit about who I am, so you don't feel like you're following a stranger. 

Quick Questions:
Favorite Color? Green. Any shade or hue.
Favorite Hobby (besides writing)? I love doing art, playing video games, and watching movies. 
Favorite Food? Alfredo, with or without chicken.
Favorite Weather? Rain, 100%.
Favorite Standalone Book? Relentless, by Dean Koontz.
Favorite Author? Probably Tolkien. So much about his work has inspired my life and my writing. And dang it, the Lord of the Rings trilogy is just so awesome. 
Favorite Movie? Silence of the Lambs
Favorite Music? I have no idea. I listen to all kinds of music, and it varies greatly depending on my book. I have been listening to a lot of indie stuff lately.

Harder Questions: 
What's your life philosophy? I've always believed that if you put your best out into the world, you'll get your best back. 

What's something that you try to remember always? Something that I try to remember always is that we're all human. We're flawed. We all get awkward, we all get hurt. Kindness is all that matters.

What's your ideal day? My ideal day would be waking up before the sun, reading a book or writing with a cup of tea, then opening the rest of the day playing with my son and hanging with my family. Or spending the day with my family at the beach. I love the beach.

What's something that drives you? Oh, man, I love to learn. Any certification, training, professional development or class I can take, I'm all in. If I could afford to go to college until I die, I totally would.

What's your day job? I'm a reading intervention specialist. I love my job, but I do not like trying to explain what I do, because there's so much of it. The short version is this: I assess and work with students, teachers, and the general public to enhance reading development and reading instruction. I am certified to work with all levels of developing readers in a tier 1, tier 2, or tier 3 setting.

What's your professional background? I graduated from college with my bachelor's degree in creative writing. I taught middle school and high school English and I absolutely adored teaching. During the years I spent teaching, I also worked with students on their reading after school, and that's when I was offered the job I have now.
 
What's something you've changed your mind about? I grew up with a lot of siblings, and I spent the first several years of my relationship determined that I didn't need a kid, because I was able to help raise my siblings, so I'd already gotten the experience. When I finally did come around and decided to try for a baby, and when he finally came, my whole world was flipped upside down in the best way possible. This little creature I had made became the absolute most precious thing I've ever known, and I still feel that way.

And of course, What do you write? I write a lot of things. I write and illustrate children's books, I write poetry, I've written romance, I write fiction, and I spend most of my time writing fantasy. All of my books, no matter the genre, have some things in common: deeper themes, connections and reflections of fate and free will, darkness and light. 

Thanks for reading, and for joining me on this crazy journey! Do you have questions you’d like me to answer? Comment here, or send me an email!