I was 8 years old when I first read "Catherine, Called Birdy" by Karen Cushman. I read it countless times and (accidentally) stole two copies from my elementary school library, both of which I still have today. That book inspired in me a love of strong, funny females; an affinity that still drives my love of reading and writing. In the 25+ years since then, I have read and written a lot but I have yet to be published. In fact, I hardly ever show people my writing because of some bad experiences in my teens. This page is my first step out of the comfortable, solitary landscape of my notebooks into the big, bold world of published writers.