“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”

— Isaac Asimov

I’m an award-winning, internationally published author of the picture books, Halloween Good Night (Simon & Schuster), Violet and the Woof (HarperCollins), and A Year With Mama Earth (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers), as well as the collection of poetry and photographs, Sweetened Condensed (Flying Ketchup Press). My other publications include poetry and essays in a broad range of literary journals. I have an undergraduate degree in philosophy and theology, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. I’m also a Sustainable Arts Foundation awardee. My children’s and general market works are represented by Victoria Wells Arms of Wells Arms Literary, and religious works by Karen Neumair of Credo Communications.

I live in rural Michigan with my husband, six children, thirteen chickens, and one naughty cat. Find the latest updates at my blog, This Joyful Mess.

I would love to connect!

What does a writer’s life look like? Breaking news, updates, and a glimpse into the real world of the everyday life of a writer, photographer, and homeschooling mama of six.

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