My favorite thing will always be pie. When I was a growing up, there were apple orchards everywhere. After school, I would help the owners pick the apples in return for a basket. Needless to say, I got very good at making apple pie! It was a special thing my mom and I would do, and I still feel close to her when I bake one.
I wrote my first story in kindergarten and then and there, I thought I might like to tell stories, though I wasn't sure how. Most of my childhood was spent reading or in the library. In college, I took food writing and became a critic, and that opened up the writing world to me. Soon after, I was starting stories--though never finishing them. After becoming a librarian, I thought it would be cool to take a writing superheroes class. That was a big moment for me! I learned how to tell a complete story. From there, I got a Writing in the Margins Mentorship from Tamara Mataya, and a year later, The Sound of Stars was born. There were some bumps along the way, but I'm happy and honored to be writing today.
SO MANY FAVORITES. I really loved Philip K. Dick growing up. But right now, I love Sarah MacLean, Bethany C. Morrow, Olivia Dade, Adiba Jaigirdar, Rebecca Coffindaffer, J. Elle, Tiffany Jackson, Angie Thomas, Justin Reynolds, and Tracy Badua. AND MORE. This was a tough question, shame on you for stressing me out, lol!