Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about me and my life...

Where can I buy your books?

First, check your local bookstore! There are many great small bookstores around and they need our support. If that’s not convenient, you can find my books at Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, Target, Indiebound.org, Amazon.com and your local library.

Photo by Rita Flores

Photo by Rita Flores

Can you come visit my school?

Due to my busy writing schedule, I am not visiting schools at this time. Check back to see if that changes.

Where do you get your ideas?

My ideas for original stories usually come from experiences and people in my life, or from things I am interested in. For example, I have always been interested in dragons and other mythical creatures. That interest led to the idea for the Dragon Masters series. When I am writing a story and I’m not sure how to solve a problem or plot the story, I like to take long walks. This usually empties my mind of other things, and the ideas just pop in.

Where do you live?

I grew up in New Jersey, and today I live in the Western Catskill mountains area of New York.

What is your family like?

I have one brother and one sister. I am married and have three grown-up stepkids.

Do you have any pets?

Yes. We currently have a bunch of chickens and four rescue dogs: sisters Mimsy and Moxy; Abby, and Louise.

What are your hobbies?

I like to read, walk my dogs, work in the garden, cook, hike in the woods, and watch cartoons and sci-fi TV shows. 

What was your favorite book when you were a kid?

Harriet the Spy 50th Anniversary Edition

It’s hard to choose, but Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh is a book I can read over and over again. I also fell in love with two books called The Silver Nutmeg and Beyond the Paw Paw Trees by a man named Palmer Brown. Other favorite authors include Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Roald Dahl, and Ellen Raskin.