Gender	Female
Industry	Publishing
Occupation	Writer/Retired from educational sales and consulting
Location	Southern California
Introduction	A former elementary teacher, I spent most of my professional life in educational publishing. I hold an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Spalding University in Louisville. One of my first picture book manuscripts, Bear Cub's Pizza, was national runner-up in the 2010 Cheerios "Spoonful of Stories" contest. Prior to that, in 2009 I won 1st and 2nd prize for two of my PB manuscripts in the Tallahassee Writers' Association contest. I've also completed 2 MG novels--a contemporary mystery for boys and a historical fiction set in 13th century Germany. Currently, I'm writing for Eleanor Curtain Publishing, based in Australia. They produce reading curriculum materials that are marketed around the world, and here in the U.S. by Okapi Educational Publishing. To date, fifteen of my manuscripts have either been published or are in production as guided reading books. Two (including a version of Bear Cub's Pizza) are Pre-K big books. I've never had so much fun!
Interests	Writing, reading, traveling, home entertaining, good wines, good friends.
Favorite movies	Indiana Jones movies, A Man for all Seasons, Chicago, Paradise Road, Frequency, Up, It's Complicated, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Favorite music	Beatles, ABBA, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bouble, gypsy jazz, the Eagles, Afro-Cuban, Billie Holiday, the Hamilton soundtrack
Favorite books	The Given Day, World Without End,The Madonnas of Leningrad, Shanghai Girls, The Hunger Games, The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Nightingale, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Killers of the Flower Moon.

What would you name your ballet inspired by the sight of children leaping through a garden sprinkler?

Summer Rhapsody with Rainbird.