Lovely to Meet You

A Few of my Favorite Things

I decided quite early that some things were just too awesome for the real world. Carrots were way more delicious if they were actually top secret messages from space that I had to eat to decipher. And I went undercover as a janitor, maid, or nanny thousands of times when I was actually an elite child spy commissioned to gather vital intel while I did chores. I’ve lived my entire life with one foot in reality and one in the clouds. Stories are just how I interpret this big beautiful world and the people and emotions living within it. 

Growing up in a small town in Minnesota, I spent most of my early days either in a lake, on a tennis or basketball court, or with my nose in a book.

Once I was out on my own, I vowed to explore this great big world and have left my footprints on six continents. Through graduate school and beyond, I’ve climbed mountains and jumped off them, splashed in three oceans (and dipped a toe in the other one) and have given literally thousands of hugs around the globe. I’m absolutely captivated by the landscapes and cultures of this world. (And the food. Let’s be honest. I think I’ve eaten some variation of gelato or ice cream in fifty countries. Priorities.)

After living and working abroad, my husband and I settled back in trusty ole Minnesota to raise our family of adventurous bookworms. My five sweet boys are the first to suggest a new country to explore together and are my most honest literary critique group. I love them beyond measure – even when they shift their “constructive criticism” to my dance moves or wardrobe choices.

I’ve had a winding career as a journalist, award-winning documentary film writer, and even a neuroscience research engineer studying the unique way literature affects our brains and identifying ways to use books to teach difficult skills like empathy, curiosity, tenacity and other important habits of mind – all looking for practical and responsible ways to quench my thirst for stories. But a tiger can’t change its stripes, so I followed my heart back to fiction, where I was meant to be all along.

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