Who are you?
I write books for young adults (though adults read them, too). I have an MFA in Poetry from the University of Minnesota. 

What books have you written?
I'm the author of The Glass Girl, Girl in Pieces; You'd Be Home Now; How to Make Friends With the Dark; and a mystery series, The Agathas (book 1) and The Night in Question (book 2) with Liz Lawson. Please read them! They're delightful. I have stories in three short story anthologies: Game On; Up All Night; First-Year Orientation.

Okay, so you have four solo books. Are they connected in some way and what order should I read them in?
My solo books (The Glass Girl; Girl in Pieces; You'd Be Home Now; How to Make Friends With the Dark) are not connected; they are separate, standalone stories. You can read them in any order! In fact, you should get them all at once because there's a BOXED SET!

Is Girl in Pieces about you?
--I like to say I gave Charlie my scars and some of my thoughts and feelings about self-harm and depression, but her story is fiction. (Please read the author's note at the back of the book.)

Your books talk about depression, addiction, self-harm, and lots of other difficult things. Where can I go to get help if I'm struggling?

I'm really sorry you are struggling right now. Here are some resources to help you:

Crisis Text Line
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
The Trevor Project
National Runaway Safeline
National Domestic Violence Hotline

Do you have tips for aspiring writers?
--Believe in the story you want to tell. If you're writing, you're a writer. Call yourself that. Write a little every day. Read a lot of books. Listen to music. Watch movies. Believe in yourself. The deluxe paperback edition of Girl in Pieces has a guided writing journal at the back to help you get in touch with yourself and your creative side--give it a try :)

Can you send my friend an email, card, video, anniversary present, free book, signed book?
--I would love to help you surprise your friends and loved ones, but I can't accommodate personal requests. Signed books are available through bookstores (see home page) or when I am on tour (see events page or sign up for my newsletter).

Can you send me a signed book?
--I can't fulfill personal requests for signed books. If you'd like to have a book signed by me, subscribe to my newsletter to get news on events where I will be signing books; news about the availability of signed books at bookstores, and more. 

Can you send me a free book?
--No, I can't. Sorry! While I do donate books to organizations that serve adolescents and at-risk individuals, I can't send free books to people.

Will you read my manuscript?
--I'm a writer, not an editor. The best advice I can give aspiring writers is to read, read, read, and...sit down and write.

Where can I get a signed copy of your books?
You can sign up for my newsletter (see home page) for news on tours and events and bookstores which may carry signed books. I cannot mail you a signed book, nor can you mail me a book to sign/have me mail it back. 

Can I send you an email or DM you?
--I'm no longer able to answer personal emails. I don't answer DMs. If you'd like to contact me, please use my PO Box for a letter. This is on my Contact page. If you use my business contact form to send a personal email or school project request, I won't be able to answer it.



Can you help me with me school project?
I'm sorry to say I can't help with your school project-the best place to find information about me for your school project is by Googling me to find interviews and stories, check the Press section of this website for articles/interviews/podcast, or by reading the author's note at the end of my books. 

Are your books about real things that happened to you?
Sometimes bits of an author's life show up in books or poems. I write contemporary realistic fiction, so my novels have an element of life and that realistic intensity. But it's fiction and the story is not mine; it belongs to the characters. You can read the author's note at the back of my books to see what inspired me to write that particular book.

Will there be movies or tv shows based on your books?
Courtney Eaton and Sophie Nélisse have purchased the rights to Girl in Pieces.