Hello

I'm a writer living outside a big city. When I feel the need to be recharged, nothing does it better for me than going into the city. The energy and the chaos of the city are palpable. Your senses are assaulted by the sights and sounds, and the smells. The city is unexpected and inspiring. Turn a corner and you've stumbled upon a street fair or a parade. And what city would be complete without the theater and museum row?

I've seen some wonderful plays from the Lion King to Hamlet. Among the many museums that I've visited, The Bodies Exhibit was my favorite. (I'm also a nurse, so now it makes sense.)

I love watching documentaries on the History Channel. My favorite movies to watch are old black and white ones. There are no car crashes, no towering infernos, just story. It's all about the characters.

Some of my favorite picture books are The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw, Go Sleep in Your Own Bed by Candace Fleming and Lori Nichols and Mama Lion Wins the Race by Jon J. Muth.

In middle grade and young adult novels, some favorites of mine include The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson, Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson, Planet Pregnancy by Linda Oatman High, Looking for Alaska by John Greene, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

A few of my favorite adult books are the following: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.