Here are a few potentially interesting things about me: 

• I'm originally from the suburbs just south of Richmond, VA. I currently live in the great, tiny state of Rhode Island. 

• I started writing because of a 7th grade homework assignment. My english teacher gave me and A and told me the story I wrote (It was about a dragon dueling with a bi-plane) was good and that I should consider continuing to write. I've been taking her advice for a little over 30 years.

• During High School and college when not writing, I was pretty wrapped up becoming a big ol' theater nerd, acting in plays like The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Blood Wedding, Dancing at Lughnasa, and various others.

• After getting an MFA in playwriting I started reading books from writers like M.T. Anderson, KL Going, and David Almond and was blown away by the quality of writing that was going on for teen audiences. I was hooked and started writing books of my own!

• The first book I ever wrote was called The Real Names of Rock Stars. It was truly terrible and, god willing, will never see the light of day. The second book I wrote was called After the End of the World; it eventually became The Eleventh Plague.

• When I'm not writing books I volunteer as a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line. If you ever feel overwhelmed or like you can't go on, simply text "Hello" to 741741 and you will be connected to a trained crisis counselor. 

Bonus Random Facts:

• I know how to escape from a straitjacket while suspended from the ceiling by my ankles. I can also eat fire, walk on broken glass and hammer a nail all the way up into my nose.

• My favorite movie is either The Outsiders or The Fisher King. I can never decide which. Oh! Maybe it's My Dinner with Andre. Have you seen My Dinner with Andre? You totally should. Team Wally!

• I can't honestly point to one favorite book, but the most formative book for me, the book that made me a reader and eventually a writer, was The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.