My family inspires me. My paternal grandfather and grandmother wrote romantic fiction for the pulps. My uncle Steve’s crime novel Straight was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe "Best First Mystery Award”. My dad terrified me and my childhood friends with ghost stories and creepy comics featuring zombie babysitters and sentient cleaning rags with a thirst for human blood. My mom's bookshelves were crammed with classic mystery novels: Wilkie Collins, Agatha Christie, and Ellis Peters. My own fiction blends many of these elements, the suspenseful, the eerie, and the romantic, to create heart-pounding novels for young adults.
I am a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators and participate in multiple critique groups.
In addition to writing fiction for young adults, I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development at Michigan State University (MSU). I received my Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Cambridge University (U.K.) and have spent over 20 years studying how genetic and environmental factors influence brain development. I love that my fiction and my science allow me to tap into different kinds of creativity, but both careers spring from my love of young people.
Fun Facts
With my husband, Matt in Germany
As a child, I lived in Germany, where I longed to own a castle, wear silk brocade, and dance on floors strewn with lavender and hyssop. This may explain my enduring love for historical fiction.
With Alex Trebek
I appeared (as a contestant) on 2 episodes of the game show Jeopardy. I rocked the category Novels Before & After.
IN DANCING MODE
I represented England in two Latin Formation World Championships (Go XS Latin!)