Stories matter

I study folklore in all its forms — from beliefs to jokes to narratives. The stories we tell each other, and why we tell them, matter to me.

I write books because sometimes the stories I’ve heard or the ones I’ve read are incomplete. In some cases, the worlds aren’t big enough. In other cases, characters I want to read aren’t even there.

That’s why I write: to tell the stories that are missing or the ones I can’t get out of my head.

Linger on my website, and you’ll find stories about myths and kitchens, about dragons and wheelchairs, about fairies and family and friends.

You’ll find stories that are big and bright and beautiful.

Stories for Kids

On her eleventh birthday, Charlie receives a key to go back in time. But before she blows out her candles, Charlie rolls into Ancient Greece with her best friend Maria and her former best friend Trent. She’s a Clockbreaker, stuck in a Greek myth, on an action-packed adventure with a mission: to save her father, and perhaps even save the world.

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Stories for Teens

Shadow Girl tells the story of fairy teen Áine, who escapes into the Shadowlands to discover the secrets of her family and her past. But the moment her foot crosses the threshold, Áine is thrust into a war that has been raging for centuries. Guardians, fire fey, and a rising darkness threaten the light, and Áine must learn to fight in the shadows — or die in the flames. This is not a fairy tale.

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Stories for Adults

Our son was born two months early with two holes in his heart. His heartsong is the sound of blood going the wrong way—enlarging one side of his heart and making his little body work too hard. You can follow his journey through my essays at The New York Times, Literary Mama, and The Washington Post.