Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, my family moved to San Bernardino, California when I was 12. We lived in the valley area where we had an orchard that produced oranges, lemons, grapefruit, apricots, and my mom grew fresh vegetables. Living in the 'country' gave me lots of time to sit outside and watch and listen to nature. This type of environment helped me focus on writing my short stories and essays.
When did you first start writing?
I first started writing when I was in the third grade. My teacher, Mrs. Brown, introduced my class to haiku. I've been in love with writing since.
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