When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I knew since I was very young that I would write. I began writing long boring poetry at age 7, then graduated to short stories that were (thankfully!) a little more interesting. At fourteen I knew that what I wanted more than anything else was to be a fantasy writer. Unfortunately, I was deterred by the adults in my life who warned me of tons of rejection (true) a lot of competition (also true) and hard work (perhaps the truest of all). But what they didn’t tell me about was how persistence was the main ingredient to success and how doing what I loved most in the world was worth any price.

Where do you get your ideas?

From all over. Ideas for books litter the world around us like hidden treasure. We just have to know where to look and what you’re looking for. Anything that you see in real life that raises a question in your mind has the potential to be a story. The Falconmaster began with the question, What would it be like to fly? To be able to turn into a magnificent bird and fly away? Lowthar’s Blade began with the question, How dark an evil would you be willing to face to bring back a loved one?

If I see an odd incident at the market or in the streets, my mind immediately begins asking questions and often a story is born.

What are some of your favorite books?

I have so many books that I love. Some fantasy books I particularly enjoyed are:

Chapter Books
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
The Dragonling Jackie French Koller
A Dragon in the Family by Jackie French Koller

Middle Grade Novels
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
The Monster’s Ring by Bruce Coville
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (My all time FAVORITE!)

Young Adult
The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley
Sabriel by Garth Nix (as well as his two other books Lirael and Abhorsen).
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinnley.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
 

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