I was born in Little Falls, Minnesota, and grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis with two sisters and a brother. As the daughter of a pastor, I was supposed to be good. As the daughter of a piano teacher, I was supposed to practice. I rarely managed to live up to both these expectations at the same time.

What else? I'm tall. I like to sail. I get very enthusiastic about odd things for short periods of time. I have a patient and loving husband and two wonderful sons who are loving (but not so patient). I live and write in Plymouth, Minnesota in a house on a hill. I like to look out my window into the branches of trees, and down at the neighborhood children who come to slide in the winter. This is good for inspiration and also lets me pretend I am thinking hard, when half the time I am just staring out the window and wondering how soon I can decently give up and go eat some chocolate.