I’m the author of the young adult novels She Drives Me Crazy, Late to the Party, and Her Name in the Sky. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was six years old, when I wrote a riveting tale about the Easter Bunny in Mrs. Miller’s first-grade class. I studied English Literature and American Studies at Vanderbilt University, taught two years of sixth-grade math with Teach for America, and self-published my first book while working for an airport restaurants company. I currently serve on the leadership board of a non-profit for Catholic parents with LGBT children and I enjoy speaking to PFLAG groups and high school GSAs. I live in Atlanta, “the city in a forest,” where I enjoy the rich literary culture and sort-of-Southern charm. I can talk your ear off about…
- The intersection of queerness and faith. I’m on the leadership team of Fortunate & Faithful Families, which supports and affirms Catholic parents with LGBTQ children. I also organize retreats and safe spaces for Catholic LGBTQ teens. You can read more here.
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My path from self-publishing to traditional publishing. I self-published my first novel, Her Name in the Sky, in 2014. It has sold over 20,000 copies and has been featured on BuzzFeed, Bustle, and AfterEllen. In 2020, my traditional debut, Late to the Party, was published by Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan. You can hear more about my transition from self-publishing to traditional publishing here and here.
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LGBTQ representation in literature. I believe deeply that young people deserve to see themselves reflected on the page and I want my books to feel like a sanctuary for queer teens. If you’re looking for more information about queer books, I recommend checking out LGBTQ Reads and We Need Diverse Books.
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Travel! I grew up living in various places: Rochester, New York; Tokyo, Japan; Singapore; and Atlanta. After college, I spent two years teaching in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before I settled back in Atlanta. I love discovering new cities and creating a sense of place in my novels.
If you want to learn more about me, you can follow me on Tumblr, where I post extra tidbits about my books and passions.