BREAKING THE ICE

Welcome to my blog! I’m excited to be blogging again, and have lots of ideas for content. But I’ll start off with a generic introductory nugget.

I didn’t include too much info in the About Me section of my new website because I didn’t want it to be an insurmountable wall of text. So I’d like to expand upon that here! I’m a pretty quiet, private person but I don’t want to be mysterious and aloof (as awesome as that sounds). If you’re here, it means you support me (or are at least curious), and maybe even like what I do. So we should get to know each other! I’ll start.

I went to a private school until the 8th grade. I tried and hated high school, so I did homeschooling for a while and then Running Start at the local community college (lots of humanities and drama classes). After that, I went to a tech college for video design and production, then another tech college for game design and development. All through this, I focused on writing without even realizing it: poems, stories, scripts, character bios, screenplays, game plots. I was also GMing tabletop RPGs with my fellow nerdy outcasts, and loved the world building and story elements - especially the NPCs.

My professional life has been varied. I’ve worked and failed at retail. I’ve built and sold computers. I’ve been a game tester. I’ve worked in web design, graphic design, and cartography. My favorite job by far was doing payroll for our local fair for many years. It was like a carnival family. When people would bring me the day’s receipts, they’d bring leftover food from the day. I’d stuff myself with pizza, elephant ears, scones, and burgers. My office was near the grandstand so I got to listen to live performances by tons of bands. The smells and sounds of a carnival are like nothing else, and getting to just absorb that sensory experience night after night, year after year on those balmy summer twilights... it was such a gift.

I place a lot of value (and fear) in the sensory experiences of life, because I am on the autism spectrum. It comes with an acute sensory processing disorder that affects all aspects of my daily life. I mask very well, but can’t hide my innate weirdness. We call it “wrong planet syndrome” for good reason. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was almost 18. It was so severe, our local hospital rushed me to the top of the waiting list for occupational therapy. I learned some coping methods, but it was too late to really impact me. I could write a dozen blogs on this subject alone (and probably will!) but if you want to ask me anything, I’m always happy to talk about it!

And now for the Gigantic Paragraph of Randomness! I love tea. Was raised Lutheran, but am definitely a witch. Obsessed with mythology (you’ve heard of autism and special interests? Mythology is mine). Love to sing, hate to dance. INTP to the max. Taurus/Gemini cusp. Slytherin. Cats > dogs, but I love all animals. Love plants. I usually like villains more than heroes; they have agency and drive the story, making them more interesting. I like to cosplay. I almost died of two different causes while giving birth to my son. I have synesthesia and selective mutism. I’m pansexual. I’ve sung in a band that’s been played on the radio. I’ve done a fashion magazine photo shoot in LA. Yet I’m still terrified of going to the grocery store or making a phone call (yay anxiety!). Thunderstorms make me want to explode with creativity. I like to paint but I’m a terrible artist. I'm a recovering World of Warcraft addict (FOR THE HORDE!!!) My favorite part of writing is character creation and development. I have so many people rattling around in my head, waiting for the stage. I don’t think I’ll ever be confident enough in my writing to behave like an authority, but I will never stop learning and striving for perfection, and I plan to share the knowledge I collect on my journey.

That’s more than enough of me for now! I’d love to hear from you, so find me on social media and say hi! And keep your eyes open for upcoming book announcements!