when I started elementary in a small town in central Wisconsin, I discovered that I had a serious problem--I was a complete and total geek! I showed up at school with my clothes on backwards (not to start a new fashion trend, I just pay a lot of attention when I was getting dressed); I talked to myself (why not, no one else would); and I was constantly making up stories. By the time I was 8, most of the kids in school hated me. They called me names, threw things at me, and generally made my life miserable. I want to do something to make them want to get to know the real me, becuase I felt sure that they'd like me if they really got to know me. My big plan back then was to break a World Record in the Guiness Book of World Records, then I'd become famous and everyone would want to get to know me. Unfortunately, I could find a record I could break. Then I found Dorothy Straight who published a novel when she was six. I thought, "If a six year old can do, then so can I." That's what started me on the road to becoming an author. Since then, I've become an author and a writing teacher. I've published nearly a dozen books including WORTH which one the 2005 Scott O'Dell Award and my most recent title THE KEENING which tells the story of a grieving girl who discovers she has a hidden family talent-- she can see the dead. More importantly, I've realized that it's wonderful to embrace your inner geek, believe in the person God made you to be, and use the gifts God make you to try and make the world a better place. I hope my books do that. Happy Reading!