I have a lot of nieces and nephews. I was always around kids. I was like the family babysitter because I was the only one that wasn't married.
I was an editor for supplemental math, science, and literature programs for the primary grades and became very well versed in elementary curriculum, particularly PreK-2.
Sadly, I haven't been able to find my earliest stories, but the impact of being told by someone important to me that I could do something special is immeasurable.
There is a page in 'Diary of a Worm' in which the worm tells his sister that no matter how much time she spends looking in the mirror, her face will always look just like her rear end. Any girl that grew up with brothers can relate to the merciless teasing.
I never considered writing as a career - it was always a creative outlet for me and something I just loved to do.
My daughters are in kindergarten and second grade, so many of the stories they tell, write, or illustrate are about each other and our dog, Buster.
