Get to Know Me!

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#Boostmybio for #PitchWars 2018

I love the idea of magic and whimsy both of which led to my story, Wishweaver.

There was a day last summer, when a neighbor came by, and she noticed a spiderweb with several milkweed wisps caught in its sticky threads. She said, “She’s catching wishes.” Little did my neighbor know at the time, but she’d inadvertently sparked a story inside me, and it would percolate for a year before getting to where it is today. A Middle Grade Fantasy story called, Wishweaver.

My Book

WISHWEAVER

In the forests of Weyburn, there has always been a Wishweaver—a spider with the magic to grant wishes—but for many years, wishes have gone unanswered, and Whimsy Spider is determined to find out why.

Whimsy has questions, and lots of them: What were they continuing on the Wishweaver traditions for, if there was no Wishweaver? What really happened to the last one? Why hasn’t a new one come to take the other’s place?

With the help of her milkweed wisp friend, Flit, Whimsy will go on a journey to the old Wishweaver Oak in search of answers, but the answers she seeks are buried deep in Weyburn’s past and she’ll have to face her fears in order to find out how to change their wish-less future.

About Me

I spent some of my best career years as a Library Clerk in the Santa Clara County Library system. This brought every possible book to my fingertips and I grew an even larger appreciation for the art of storytelling. With the support of my colleagues, I continued editing Adeline and the Mystic Berries and even participated in NanoWriMo 2015 where I wrote a YA Fantasy story called, Origin of Ryn, in a month!

I am a Bay Area, California girl, who has been transplanted up to the rainy, evergreen Pacific Northwest where there is no shortage of inspiration in the lush landscapes bursting with color! No drought here!

I always loved the idea of being an author but never thought there would be a story in me creative enough to tell. I couldn’t have been more wrong on that account. I’ve written three books (two MG, one YA) and have several picture books in progress. My idea journals are bursting with more story ideas just waiting for their turn in the spotlight.

While continuing my journey of becoming a published author, I decided to also pursue my love of illustration. I have since been published as an illustrator for the Middle Grade chapter book series by author, K.Kibbee, Theodore and the Enchanted Bookstore the first two books of which have already been published by Incorgnito Publishing Press.

Why I Started Writing and
What’s Happened Since

I started writing when the idea for Adeline and the Mystic Berries, a middle grade fantasy story, came to me. The main character for that tale is, Adeline Picot, an artist like myself and extremely crafty too!

When I was spending my time eight years ago focusing on my Etsy shop—where I sold crocheted geeky amigurumi (plush toys) of characters from my favorite anime, video games, and movies—I saw another shop called, Enlightened Platypus. The artist took upcycled sweaters and created beautiful witchy-inspired technicolor dreamcoats patched together to vibrant perfection. It was then when the idea for Adeline and the Mystic Berries came to me of an artistic girl who lives in a barren world without color.

I spoke to my husband about my idea and he encouraged me to write it down. Even if nothing came of it, he told me I had a wonderful story concept and needed to explore it further.

So I did.

I added to the writing when I decided to focus on crocheting my own dreamt up characters. I started a new blog, Etsy shop, and YouTube Channel all under the name Ink & Stitches so I could teach others to crochet amigurumi and further get my work out there. I love sharing what I know! I love giving away free patterns like the Happy Sunflower (see picture below) and getting the amazing response that one pattern has received.

Since then, I’ve become a mother of two amazing kids. My son, James, wants to be an astronaut, illustrator, and tooth fairy. My daughter, Lizzie, isn’t old enough to tell me such things, but whatever she wants, she’s precocious enough to get! I love that about her!

My love of illustration and storytelling have brought me to writing picture books and I have one in the works: Benny the Bookworm.

Stories continued to come to me. They flooded in, so I took the time to write all my ideas down. Slowly but surely, I’ve been working through those ideas.

That is where Wishweaver comes in. This story started off as a picture book idea. I tried to keep the magic contained to 500-words or less, writing and re-writing Whimsy’s tale, but the more I tried, the more it burst from the pages. I had this wonderful character, and a title I loved, and even a place for her journey to be set, but what I needed was to dive deeper into Whimsy’s story. Eleven picture book dummies later and a whole lot of illustrations, and I decided to let the magic out. I switched genres back to what I’ve written before and what I knew I could write again, middle grade fantasy.

When I took all restrictions away, the story flowed. I wasn’t clunking over the words anymore. I wrote the first draft in the span of a week and a half and I fell in love with Wishweaver again. Now that I know Whimsy’s story, I want to take it to the next level. I want Wishweaver ready for submission and that’s where Pitch Wars comes in and why I’m in search of a mentor for this project.

Fun Facts

• I am published as an illustrator, having illustrated the series, Theodore and the Enchanted Bookstore, by author, K.Kibbee.
• The furthest I’ve traveled has been to Hawaii. I’ve driven across country from New York to Florida and also from Florida to California. Let me just say, Texas is unending!
• I don’t care for hot weather and burn just by thinking about the sun.
• I love Mexican food and am surprised my first born didn’t come out as a pinto bean. We did, however, call him “The Bean” before we knew what we were having.
• I love staying busy and surprise many of my critique partners and friends with how much work I can get done having two kids under five at home. They have to sleep sometime, right?
• I love coffee! Blonde and sweet 🙂
• I dream of traveling one day (soon I hope!).
• I love Studio Ghibli and have drawn so much inspiration from their works like: Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Secret World of Arrietty, and My Neighbor Totoro.
• I spend an hour each night before bed unwinding with a TV show, like “The Magicians,” or something new on Netflix with a bit of magic, or I’ll even admit, a smidge of sappiness from time-to-time…thank you “Heartland” oh yeah, and a glass of Chardonnay in hand (mustn’t forget the best part).

Favorite Books

• Howl’s Moving Castle (MG) by Diana Wynne Jones

  

• Faeries of Dreamdark series (MG) by Laini Taylor
• A Discovery of Witches (Adult Fantasy) series by Deborah Harkness
• Harry Potter series (MG) by J.K. Rowling
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone series (YA) by Laini Taylor
• The Magicians series by Lev Grossman
• His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
• Graceling series by Kristin Cashore
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Why Work with Me?

I work hard for the things that I want in life and I want this. I will work every free moment I have to make my dream of becoming a published author/illustrator a reality.

Wishweaver is a story so near and dear to me. I never once gave up on it. Even after making eleven picture book dummies, and endless drawings, I didn’t give up.

I allowed this story to be what it was meant to be all along. I opened it up to the possibilities it could contain by adjusting the audience and age group to middle graders.

I want this manuscript to become the best it can be and I know I need expert eyes to get it there. I am willing to work hard and edit as much as needed. I will expand the story if needbe to get the word count up. I will kill darlings. I will be open to ideas and suggestions.

I love the story Wishweaver has become and I want to find a mentor who loves the concept and story just as much as I do.

You must love whimsy. You must love stories of friendship. You must love a sprinkling of magic. For this story is filled with these things and so much more.

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