Current Writing Projects
Obra Maestra
Picturebook
Roughly 300 words
Unpublished
Obra Maestra
Georgia dreams of being an artist. One day when inspiration strikes, she enlists the techniques of some of her favorite artists to create her own masterpiece- her obra maestra. The artists included in this picturebook range from Eric Carle to Frida Kahlo, Ivey Hayes to Yayoi Kusama. The content can be sophisticated enough for older children, but the sound effects accompanying the artistic creation make this a perfect read aloud for even the youngest of children. Adults and children alike will learn a little about how each artist creates their own style of work.
Sample:
"I reflect my own face like Frida Kahlo,
look, draw, paint.
I install polka-dots like Yayoi Kusama,
circle, sculpt, mirror.
I splat like Jackson Pollock,
fling, drip, drizzle."
Far From Home
Middle Grade
In Progress
Unpublished
Goal is to make it a graphic novel with the help of an artist!
Ali is a typical gaming obsessed pre-teen who finds herself on a camping trip with her sister, mother, and *gasp* the mother's new boyfriend. Will this trip shatter what is left of the fragile relationship she has with her mom, or will she learn to love the goofy new man in her mother's life. Hilarity ensues as Ali learns to navigate her feelings about divorce, co-parenting, and surviving without wi-fi.
Sample:
I was just settling back into sleep when I hear him. The boyfriend. He greets my mother with a morning kiss and I feel the vomit rising in my throat. Gross. Kissing is gross. Watching your mother kiss someone who is definitely not your dad is downright revolting. He sits up and whispers, “Good morning, Ali.” My traitor sister stirs in her sleep and shouts, “Good morning Greg!” He lets out a chuckle and says, “Well, good morning to you too, Megan.” I pull the sleeping bag higher above my head to drown out the merriment happening in this tent right now.
Roll With Me
Picturebook, in progress,
Roughly 700 words
Travel through Western Massachusetts, birthplace of basketball, through the perspective of a lost ball. Kids playing in the summer heat get distracted by ice cream and the ball rolls away, visiting all of the meaningful historic basketball spots in the region.A fun rollicking adventure perfect for a local illustrator.
Last Seen
YA Suspense
Roughly 85,000 words
2nd Revision
Last Seen details the struggle of two sisters, separated by abduction. Bree was taken from her family at the age of nine, and her only focus has been to survive the torturous environment of her captors. Told from alternating perspectives, the reader becomes immersed in Janey's world as she learns how to sneak and hack her way into the forgotten investigation to find her sister. Tension builds as Bree learns how far she will go to survive and Janey learns more about what happened to her sister all those years ago. A sexy novel, filled with horror, readers will be sure to stay up late into the night turning page after page.
Excerpt from a Janey chapter:
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“That’s true, but don’t rule out a random abduction from any part of the country. With the human trafficking situation the way it is, they really could have been from anywhere. Those types of abductions are often crimes of opportunity. The person could have been scoping out the scene and saw a chance and took it.”
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“That’s not exactly reassuring,” Janey frowned.
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“Do you want reassuring or do you want to find her?” Jake asked.
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“I want to find her.”
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“Then let’s get real.”
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“Let’s? Did I invite you into this investigation? I don’t recall asking you for help.” Janey uses a lighthearted tone, but she really is questioning why this man thinks he can just step in and save her and her sister.
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“I mean, obviously, this is your deal. I’m not trying to butt in, but if I am going to be honest, I live for this shit. And two heads are better than one. AND I happen to know how to crack firewalls like it’s my j-o-b.”
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“I’ll think about it,” Janey replies. But she knows already that she needs him. No, she doesn’t need him, she absolutely can do this on her own. But she wants him. She looks up at him and makes eye contact.
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“Every good detective has a reliable and handsome sidekick, no?”
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“As long as I get to be the Sherriff and you stay the Deputy,” Janey says.
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“Deal, Pardner,” Jake says in his best Western twang.
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“Now drink up. We have work to do.”