BIO

Last week, which is now, long ago, my friends and I discussed parenting. I'm at the age now where the thought of trading in my Kate Spade purse for a diaper bag is becoming more and more inevitable. While some of us are more ready than others, the topic of bedtime came up. 

Me and my brother, John 

When asked about my own night-time rituals, I immediately broke out in panic, “My mom came up with the most imaginative bedtime stories,” I began to stress. “I begged for one each night and she never ran out of ideas. I don’t know how I’ll ever live up to that. How did she do it?” I asked. 

My parents, the OGs of storytelling. 

The group sat silent, their eyes shifting to one another to make contact. Suddenly, a roar of laughter broke out. “You do realize you’re writing a book--” my now husband chuckled. “You already have a list of your next dozen scary story ideas. What do you mean you don’t know how she came up with them? You’re a natural.” I blushed and sat there quietly. The news that I was a writer somehow surprised me, “Oh,” I finally said, "Ok, I can do this."

Me with my husband Luke, who always sets me straight.

Looking back at my life, I’ve had three constants: the love for my family, the need to be creative and write, and the excitement I find in horror. My appetite for writing and horror really revealed themselves in the fifth grade when my teacher, Mrs. Dzvonick, assigned us to write a short story. After a week of rapidly striking keys on an old Mac computer, my masterpiece on demonic possession was finished. I hit ‘print’ and reveled in my work. 

For the next decade I continued down the same path reading scary stories and analyzing horror movies. My first big step into further cultivating my passion was attending the University of Pittsburgh where I received a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Studio Art. Here, I honed my craft by taking classes on Gothic and Victorian Literature, Hitchcockian Films, and Mythological Monsters. During spring semester of my sophomore year I signed up for a section called ‘Vampires and Other Blood Suckers- A Chronicle of Vampires Throughout Literary History'. After that, I ran full speed ahead and never looked back (which I learned is the best way to escape a masked murderer in horror movies).

After my four year stint in undergrad, I decided I wanted to share my love of Literature with the next generation. I attended graduate school and took home a Masters degree in Arts and Teaching and have spent the past 5 years teaching grades 6-12. 

My Editor, Iggy

Currently, I am writing a children’s horror story. The novel is much like the beloved “Goosebumps” but with a bit more bite. As a kids horror writer, my job is to capture my fondest memories from childhood and fuse them with timeless fears like strangers lurking in the dark. I took my own life into consideration and delved into the many reasons I stayed awake as a child, staring at the ceiling trying not to move a muscle. As a little girl who always wanted more- something scarier, here is my contribution to the genre. 

Elizabeth and I on Halloween, 2015

This blog serves to chronicle the journey through my writing and teaching career and my continuous exploration in the horror industry. I will happily share my highs and lows throughout the writing process, excerpts from my book, class lessons, creative tips,  and of course- lots of my favorite scary things. Oh, and I’ll probably be asking for your help along the way to fine-tune story lines and receive overall feedback. Thank you for being here and being a part of my scary but exciting adventure!