I grew up in New England and came to Philadelphia at the age of 17. Except for a six-month stint in Atlanta, I have lived in the Philadelphia area ever since. I am a night person who believes that mornings were meant to be slept through, a chocolate lover, and a hiker. I walk every day, and hike on weekends when I can.

I’ve been writing since the age of six, when I used to write and illustrate my own picture books. (Fortunately, none of those early efforts have survived, unless my parents are hiding them for future blackmail plans.) In high school, I considered it fun to come home from school and write novels. My grandfather worked at a printing plant that produced spiral-bound notebooks. Any flaws in the printing or binding process would land the notebooks in the company store at a steep discount, so I always had plenty of notebooks on hand. Now I write on a computer most of the time.

I will read almost anything (see the lists below for some of my favorite books); I prefer to write short fiction and young-adult novels. I had my first short story published when I was 17, but it took me many years to write well with consistency, and I continue to learn more every year. My short fiction has appeared in literary magazines such as Willow Review and North American Review. My first novel will be published by Viking.