I will read anything that a friend recommends to me. That means I end up reading a lot of different genres. I love fantasy and sci-fi (of course), but I have also loved some general contemporary fiction like The Kite Runner and A Man Called Ove. I'm a high school English teacher, so I also end up reading a lot of "classics." My favorite of the books I get to teach are The Great Gatsby, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Scarlet Letter.

I prefer a book that I can hold in my hands and turn the pages, but I love that I can read almost anything for so cheap on my iPad. I end up reading a lot of Kindle books and Wattpad on my iPad.

Cluttered. My desk is always covered in books and papers. "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?" - Laurence J. Peter

I have been telling stories for as long as I can remember. The first time I remember actually writing a story was when I was about thirteen. It was a romantic story about a girl and boy in middle school, and was very clearly *not* me. I cringe just thinking about it. I hope I have come a long way since then.

I'm currently working on a book called Lead Glass, which is about a young woman who "wakes up" after being in a drugged haze for about ten years to find herself in a hospital being poked and prodded by some kind of alien race who looks very human. She escapes, partners up with a teenage boy and a sinister stranger, and ends up spying on the new race of beings to find out more about them. It came from a story I wrote in high school, but so much has changed from the characters to the plot that it is a completely different story now.

I think I was afraid of the expectations that came with being an "author" at all. The indie route seemed somehow less scary. The only people with expectations for my writing were me and my (at the time few) readers. I've since discovered that I love the freedom that comes with being and indie author. I recently decided that I wanted to offer my first book for free, and, even though I have to wait a couple months to take it off the Kindle exclusivity list, I have the total freedom to do that.

J.K. Rowling has been my absolute role model since the age of eight. The Harry Potter books were the ones that convinced me reading could be wonderful. She will always be perfect in my eyes. Other than J.K. Rowling, I have recently become obsessed with Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle series. I am anxiously awaiting the announcement of a release date for the third book.

I don't know about "inspires", but my alarm forces me out of bed at six every morning so that I can get my butt to school before my kids do. Some days they're angels and some days they're monsters, but they keep my life interesting. Even though I complain about it sometimes, I do love my job.

I usually get my books either form recommendations from friends and family.

I'm currently working on two books. One is the sequel to my first book (Avalon: Princess), and it's called Crown. It follows Jade and Hugh as they continue on the journey discovering what really happened to their family.

I'm also working on a book called Lead Glass. It's set in a future where the world has been overtaken by another race of intelligent beings who look almost exactly like humans, but as Lizzie, one of the few humans left, starts to investigate them, it's clear that something isn't quite right.