I had the immense pleasure of giving the keynote at the Virginia Association of School Librarians Conference for the York Region  on Friday, March 8th. I spoke about how I learned that I belonged in the library, thanks to the actions of my middle school librarian, misbelief, and the power we have to transform students’ lives.

I was joined by my friend and fellow Middle Grade Authorcade member, Sylvia Liu, who gave an awesome presentation about school visits. 

Thank you so much to Kristy and the organizers for inviting me! As a double English and Theater major, I am not shy about speaking in front of groups and would love to speak at your conference or event. Please use the contact page on my website to reach out. 

2023 was a year of focus for me. I loved the handful of events I was able to attend, but I spent most of the year with family while researching and writing my new book. I can't wait to tell you more about it soon. In the meantime, here's a peek at what 2023 looked like for this author. 

On November 3rd, I had the honor of presenting at the VAASL conference in Williamsburg, VA. As part of the SCBWI group, I loved meeting other local authors including Erin Teagan (2nd picture), fellow 21der Terry Catasús Jennings (3rd picture) and keynote speaker, Daniel Nayari (1st picture, left). But really, the best part was getting to talk to librarians, media specialists, and administrators that were passionate about bringing new stories to young readers. Thank you for all the work that you do!

I also loved that the conference was located in the Historic District in Williamsburg and throughly enjoyed wandering before my presentation and signing sessions! Now I want to write a Williamsburg book...