A love letter to the stories that haunt us (in the best way) When people ask me why I write middle grade fiction, I sometimes want to say: because that’s where the ghosts live. Not always the sheet-draped kind, though I have a soft spot for those too. I mean the quiet ghosts—the ones we … Read more
Somewhere between childhood’s wide-eyed wonder and the gritty push of adolescence, there’s a space that’s often overlooked. It’s quiet. Shifting. Tender. The world hasn’t fully asked you to grow up yet, but you know it’s coming. You start to see beneath the surface of things—friendships, family, even yourself—and you’re not sure what to do with … Read more
Some stories open like doors swinging wide. Others beckon with a whisper, asking you to lean in and listen. As a writer of middle grade fiction, I believe a first line should do more than introduce a story—it should cast a spell. When I was drafting my MG manuscript, I rewrote my opening sentence more … Read more
Not all summer reads come with sunburns and plot twists. Some drift in like dandelion seeds—soft, strange, unforgettable. These are the books you don’t race through on a beach towel. You pause. You underline. You press the cover to your heart before setting it down. Here are five books—some classic, some contemporary—that invite quiet wonder, … Read more
Some stories never need a spellbook. They cast their enchantment slowly—like the hush after a storm or the way grief makes time behave strangely. They work not through potions or portals, but through atmosphere, memory, and the kind of wonder that lingers long after the page is turned. This is the kind of magic I … Read more
Florida’s beaches and backroads hold more than beauty—they hold stories. And for writers, these stories bubble up from the land itself. Abandoned hotels, drowned towns, pirate legends, roadside tabernacles, and oyster shell mounds—it’s all here, just waiting to be turned into fiction.Every rusted sign and weather-beaten boardwalk has a memory baked into it.There are whispers … Read more
Nature isn’t neutral. The swamp has moods—sometimes breathless and waiting, sometimes thick with secrets. The sky carries warnings in the curl of a cloud or the hush before a storm. Trees don’t just provide shade—they lean and whisper, they bear witness. They’ve seen generations pass beneath their branches. I write these spaces the way I … Read more
Florida is more than just sunshine and seashells. It’s also hurricanes and hiding places. To the outsider, Florida might seem all pastel sunsets and tourist-packed boardwalks—but as anyone who’s truly lived here knows, the real Florida hides in the hush between storms, in the stillness of a mangrove tangle, in the ghost-gray light of a … Read more
The waters surrounding Florida have long been known as a graveyard for ships. From Spanish galleons loaded with treasure to forgotten merchant vessels swallowed by storms, the ocean holds stories of adventure, tragedy, and mystery—many still waiting to be discovered. As a writer, I can’t help but be drawn to these lost histories, imagining the … Read more
I’m thrilled to share that my short story Salt, Then Silence was shortlisted in the latest Reedsy writing contest! While I didn’t take home the win this time, being recognized among so many talented writers is an honor. This story holds a special place in my heart, and knowing it resonated with the judges gives … Read more