Q: First tell us something about yourself.
A; I was born and raised in Michigan, but after my husband and I married in 1995 we relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area where we lived until we moved to Berlin in 2017. We made that drastic move because we wanted to travel and experience a slower life pace than the Silicon Valley provided.
Q: How and when did your journey start as a writer?
A; As a child, I had a gift for creative writing, and my first dream was to be a writer. I fell in love with koalas when I saw my first photo of one as a young girl. When I was 10, I wrote my first short story about a mother koala and her joey. I was honored that the school administration selected my story to represent the school at a local young writers’ conference, where I met other local students and authors. Sadly, I lost the story, and other than the names of the two koalas (Kristi and Kandi), I do not remember anything about it.
Q: When did you write your first story? Is it published or not?
A: The above-mentioned story about the koalas was my first story. No, it was never officially published. Over the years, my interests and talents have evolved, and up until recently, all my work has been nonfiction for an adult audience, as indicated by my first published book, Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel (published in 2021),
Q: Tell us something more about your books.
A: As well as being an avid animal lover, I am an advocate for social justice and progressive causes. My goal is to write nonfiction books that educate, inspire, and entertain people while engaging in activities to make the world a safer and more just place.
Q: How did these stories and characters come to your mind?
A: I am primarily an author for adults, and I was conducting research for my upcoming book, Guardians Down Under: The Unsung Heroes Saving Australia’s Vanishing Wildlife and based on the information people gave me, it became clear that to make a difference in protecting the wildlife we needed to educated the children about the wonderful animals and the threats they face. I took some of the most common complaints wildlife rescuers had about the repeated dangers facing wildlife, where I thought children could easily make a difference and help save these animals. Instead of writing in traditional chapters, I used “scenarios” to discuss the threat, why people should care, what they can do to prevent these dangers, and what to do if they encounter an animal in these circumstances.
Q: Do you want to leave any message for your readers?
A: You do not have to commit your life or be an expert to have an impact, and small actions can make a big impact.
