I grew up in Michigan and Massachusetts, contributing to a split personality involving a love of farmlands and the ocean. Early influences include Harriet the Spy, Bozo the Clown, and the books of Judy Blume and Laura Ingalls Wilder. I love anything that will make me look at the world in different ways. Favorite genres are science fiction, historical fiction, and contemporary novels. All-time favorite authors are Barbara Kingsolver, John Steinbeck, and Carl Sagan. I currently edit proposals and science journal articles at an oceanographic research facility. I've also worked as a reporter and freelance writer while writing fiction on the side. Ocean Echoes is my first novel.