Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Waretown—pronounced where-town, New Jersey. The name is a perfect description of the town.
As a child in the car, I would blink and be in the next town over. My childhood house is blocks away from a lagoon and is a quick walk to Barnegat Bay. With ice cream cones in hand, our family took many walks down to the bay, to say hi to Old Barny—the Lighthouse on Long Beach Island.
My elementary school was inland in the Pine Barrens, home to the New Jersey Devil. I can remember going to Wells Mills Park, a mile away from the school, to go on a field trip and read about the notorious birth and how the Devil still haunts the woods. He was even rumored to make appearances at kid's birthday parties.
There were tons of woods and swamps to explore. When the streetlights came on and our shoes were too muddy from the day playing, a quick splash in the bay was all they needed before going home for dinner.
Our shoes never were allowed inside the house.
My imagination went wild in the woods by the bay and I went on many adventures within my small community. It's those childhood memories that continue to inspire my writing, revisiting those distant lands not too far from my childhood home.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I love baking delicious desserts and breads, almost as much as I love to eat them. I spend hours in the kitchen, blasting music, sipping sweet wine, with flour up to my elbows.
When not in the kitchen, I'm reading a book or trying to find something to find on tv.
If the weather is nice, I'm visiting my hometown and going to the beach or heading to Six Flags Great Adventure to scream for the afternoon.
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