welcome to my virtual ocean!

I'm a kidlit writer, diver & adventurer. I love sharing the mysteries of the deep with kids of all ages who love adventure.

As a kid, I spent hours drawing and designing elaborate plans for undersea houses, ocean-exploring vehicles, and majestic tree houses. If I could live anywhere I wanted to, it would be at the bottom of the ocean or in a tree house that I designed myself.

If I were a character in a novel, I'd choose a middle grade adventure novel, just like the kind I like to write! 

I merge my love of storytelling with my love of the natural world. As an avid scuba diver, I have seen the delicate ecosystem beneath the ocean's surface and the ways our modern life is damaging it. I write about science for kids because I think the most important stories we have are the stories the natural world unfolds for us everyday if we just take the time to listen. There's something magical about finding the right words to describe how the natural world works.

But...sometimes I just want to tell a good story! I love stories and the power of imagination to create new and different worlds. While my fiction is rooted in research and real science, I sometimes take some liberties to create a world where some different things *could* happen. The best thing about writing fiction is that you get to invent the world you want.

Of course, readers, just like writers, don't have to choose. The best thing about being a reader is getting lost in both real and imaginary worlds, following a writer's amazing words. 

I use photography as a form of research to make sure I don't forget things I want to capture in words later. 

I'm an avid amateur photographer, particularly when I travel, dragging two or three cameras with me wherever I go. I use images as a starting point for my writing: what do I see? How can I take it further?  Although my goal is to capture these images in words later, sometimes, my photos rebel by telling their own stories. A lot of the photos I use in my posts are from images as I took as research for writing.

If you like, you can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr (quick links below! I’m currently taking a break from Twitter).

the pool is open!