Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been writing?
I have always loved to write. I can remember as a seven year-old writing a letter to my father hoping to convince him to let me take another dance class. I had been taking ballet classes since I was three, and I loved ballet, but I wanted to add tap dancing classes to my weekly routine. It must have been a good letter, because he said yes! Here’s a photo of my tap shoes. I still have them.
I went on to write letters to the editor of our local newspaper as a teen, articles for a college publication as a young teacher, and I eventually wrote children’s books, books for educators, a monthly column for a national educators’ magazine, and now a blog. I love to write, and my favorite writing is books for children.
When did you write your first book?
I wrote my first book when I was in seventh grade. I wrote about the adventures of a pair of twin dolls my younger sister received for Christmas. The book was never published, but that didn’t matter. My sister loved the book, and we read it many times! Here’s a photo of the cover.
What is your favorite of the books you have written?
When I am writing a book, it is always my favorite at that time. I get wrapped up in the story and the characters’ lives. I think about the events and how the characters will respond even when I am not at my desk writing. I will always have a special place in my heart for One Carton of Oops! because it was my first children’s book, and it was my first published book. It was a dream come true. My second book, Double Bubble Trouble!, is very special to me because it is dedicated to my daughter. I just love the Cayuga Island Kids chapter book series because I am a Cayuga Island kid—I grew up on the island—and in the series the illustrator and I have brought the characters to life. They are kind, smart, resourceful, helpful, and fun.
Where do you write?
I love my writing space! It’s a bedroom in our home that I use as an office. Instead of clothes, the closet is full of writing supplies, including stacks of colorful sticky note pads of all shapes and sizes that I keep in my father’s red tool box, and more pens and pencils than I could ever possibly need. My desk used to be a kitchen table. On the wall above the desk are these words: dream, believe, achieve. On the opposite wall is a long, tall bookcase which holds all the books I’ve written, books about writing, poetry books, and books filled with quotations. There are a couple of bulletin boards in my office where I tack up notes for projects I am working on, favorite quotes (I LOVE collecting quotes!), newspaper photos, and cherished keepsakes. On the wall between the windows looking out to the backyard is a piece of writing along with a drawing of me that my daughter created in second grade. It’s titled “All About Mom” and it’s lovely from beginning to end, but my favorite line is the last: “I will always love my mom even if she goes to jail.” Here is a photo of my desk.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I am not writing, I enjoy walking our yellow Lab, petting our black cat, reading, cycling, jogging, traveling, visiting bookstores wherever we travel, gardening, and showing up at the barre—the ballet barre. It keeps me on my toes, even after all these years.
I love the Little Free Library on the cover of Book 3, The Case of the Messy Message and the Missing Facts! How did you decide to have a Little Free Library be part of the story? And how did you come up with the design?
I am so pleased that you like the Little Free Library (LFL) on the cover of the book. I do, too! The illustration and the design of the LFL is entirely the inspired work of the Cayuga Island Kids series illustrator, Gabriella Vagnoli. If you look carefully you will note that she has added elements to the LFL from each of the Cayuga Island Kids stories as well as Cayuga Island, the setting of the series.
As to the first part of your question—how did the Little Free Library come to be part of the story—well, the events that take place in all of the Cayuga Island Kids books grew from my imagination. The ideas, however, sprouted from my interests, observations, and experiences.
I am a big fan and supporter of Little Free Libraries. These community libraries can be found in neighborhoods everywhere. Readers of all ages are encouraged to take and also leave books. I am always on the lookout for Little Free Libraries, and I have discovered many creative free libraries in my travels. I even came upon one in a tiny restaurant in Torino, Italy! A collection of photos I have snapped of LFLs can be seen here as well as on my News page where I explain about my Community Outreach efforts connected to LFLs and also on the Outreach page for the Niagara Frontier Reading Council.
You can build a Little Free Library for your front yard or anywhere people will find it and be encouraged to share books. Be creative, like Lacey’s gram, or build one from a design provided by the LFL organization. The options are limitless. For more information, visit the Little Free Library website. Keep reading, dreaming, believing—and sharing good books!
Illustration © Gabriella Vagnoli