What’s your favorite holiday?
Halloween

What are some of your favorite foods?

Avocados, french fries, Butterfingers, turkey burgers, chocolate, this awesome bean and sausage Italian soup at Undici’s Restaurant in Englewood, CO.
 

Do you have any siblings?

I have three sisters and one brother and each of us was born in a different state! I’m second oldest: My older bro, John, was born in Salt Lake City, UT. My sis, Michelle was born in New Orleans, LA (she's the blue clown in the pic at left), my other sis Cheryl (pronounced CH, as in :chair”) was born in Littleton and my baby sis, Rebecca, was born in Orlando, FL My sibling line-up from oldest to youngest: John, Denise, Michelle, Cheryl, Rebecca.

What is your fav color?

Black. But I also like deep colors like purple, fuscia, and teal--NO pastels!

What kind of music do you like?

I like a lot of different kinds of music. Rock is my fav but I also listen to celtic music, Native American flute, and other mellow stuff. Some of the bands on my iPod right now: Tom Petty, Hinder, Death Cab for Cutie, Cranberries, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones.

What are some of your fav foods?

...the awesome Tuscana soup at Undici’s Restaurant in Englewood, CO!

What’s your shoe size?
Women's 7 1/2-8, Chuck Taylor's: 6

Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Everywhere! Someone may say something, or I’ll read about something, or something happened to my son or daughter or niece or nephew. My ears are always open and I’ve got a long list of book ideas I can’t wait to work on!

Did you always want to be a writer?
When I was really young, I wanted to be a vet, then a firefighter, then a dancer. In junior high and high school I wanted to be either an actor or a writer. As I entered college, writing started to grab my interest more.

What influenced you in your writing?
Teachers were a big influence. Three in particular - Marietta Brown (5th or 6th grade English - I'm still friends with her!), Sally McCabe who taught me English in 7th and 8th grade (she passed away several years ago - very sad), and Nancy Fehrmann Roach (now Fehrmann again), who was my literature teacher in 7th and 8th grade, Miss Ferrill in 9th, Mr. Rahn Anderson in 10th.the list goes on. All of them gave me encouragement and made me feel like a writer, as well as my parents, who also supported me early on.

Books were also a big influence. I read a lot as a kid and beyond and wanted to be able to create stories that readers could relate to, just as I related to the books I read. I wanted to entertain, but also maybe give readers insights, too.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
I would probably work behind the scenes in movies or in the theater or teach writing or filmmaking.

If I send you my book or story, will you read it and tell me what you think?
I love to hear that you are writing your own stories and books! And I wish I could read them. But unfortunately, if I did, I wouldn't have time to write my own books, or keep my commitment to the writers in my writing groups. Check the Stuff for Writers page to get tips on writing and places to send your work.

How can I have my own website or blog?
There are a few places you can do this but I recommend talking to your parents first because its really important to BE SAFE. Never put in any personal information (full name, address, phone, school name, team name, stuff like that) so you are always safe online. Once you talk to them, have them search with you online for different places where you can keep a blog or have a website and make sure you always follow good Internet safety. 

The other option is just to keep a private journal on your computer. You can even do it in Microsoft Word and give the document a password so no one can read it but you. Check Word's online Help for instructions on how to do this.

I'm a writer, too. How can I learn more about writing and getting published?
Check out the Stuff for Writers page to get tips on writing and places to send your work.

Do you send out review copies to blog reviewers?

I don't but my publisher does. You can contact the publicity department of my publishers to see if they will send you a review copy. See links below:

For Click Here and Access Denied it's Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

For Fact of Life #31, it's Knopf Books for Young Readers (a division of Random House).

Say good things in your reviews - hee hee!