My parents encouraged our imagination and love of reading. They took us to the library and to newsagents to pick up our weekly comics … Bunty for me, Mandy for my sister, and Beano for my little brother. They took us to Beatrix Potter’s home in the Lake District, gifting us each with a beautiful keepsake book. I also had wonderful teachers who cultivated my love of stories by reading a chapter from Roald Dahl or C. S. Lewis before we left school each day.

I loved to write too—mostly because I liked how it looked. Although I never learned to hold a pencil “the correct way,” I had meticulous handwriting. Look at that beautiful writing in my poetry journal when I was eight. My earliest accomplishment was winning first place in a cursive handwriting competition.

As a teenager, I wanted to be a travel writer, but my school career advisor told me to pursue a more realistic job. So, I stayed in Belfast and became a Geography teacher—and traveled during the summer—thinking I’d do that for the rest of my life.

Plot twist! While on a Greek cruise, I met an officer and a gentleman in the U.S. Air Force. Two years later, I’d traded my classroom to travel the world as a military spouse. Teaching reading in an elementary school in Colorado re-ignited my love of picture books. This was quickly followed by the birth of my first daughter, Darcy—named after one of my favorite book characters. Then came a second daughter, Sophia. I liked how her name looked on a page.

After reading thousands of bedtime stories, I thought I could write a picture book! It took a year or two to learn the craft. I’m still learning new skills today, including how to write a graphic novel when you can’t draw like an artist.

Although I never became a professional travel writer, I became a writer who travels … moving between England, Italy, Germany, South Korea, and five U.S. states. I’ve visited over 50 countries! Experiencing new places and cultures has inspired many of my story ideas. Today, I live near Washington, DC, where my day job is teaching reading in an elementary school. In the evenings, I write children’s books. I believe I have the best two jobs in the world!