About Me

I didn’t plan to be a writer. Don’t get me wrong, I dreamed of being a writer, but it was one of those impossible dreams. Like being a rock star, or owning a spaceship. (I’m still working on the spaceship thing. If you have one, let me know. I’m serious.)

I planned be an artist–a painter–because THAT was a feasible career (and I really loved getting messy which is, like, a prerequisite for all artists). But fortunately, life doesn’t always go according to plan.

It all started with Nancy Drew.

When I was six years-old, while playing hide-and-seek at my grandma’s house, I climbed into a bedroom closet and stumbled upon a collection of Nancy Drew books. And when I say “collection” I mean horde. There were at least forty books in there. (Sure, we couldn’t afford to buy me a Care Bears lunch box for school, but Nancy Drew hard covers? Mandatory purchase. Whatever.)

Upon finding these blessed books, I was like, “Who is this sleuth girl who comes across a different mystery every single week? I must read more!” Needless to say, I was hooked. (Fun Fact: Ned was my first book boyfriend. My taste in book boys has changed rather dramatically over the years. *coughs* Will Herondale.)

After that, I became a voracious reader–but still planned to be an artist. In high school, I was the girl who had her nose in a book and her hands in a bucket of paint. I was super popular. Not.

After high school I went to Arizona State University, where I majored in design and wore more eyeliner and black clothing than a healthy person should. And it was during this epicly emo time in my life that my future took a turn. (Just kidding. I wasn’t emo. Emo kids were cool.)

I accidentally ended up in a creative writing course during my junior year–and by “accidentally” I mean, I failed to register on time and my adviser said, “You’re not taking college seriously. I’m putting you in creative writing,” like that was some form of punishment or something. Right.

At first I was like, “Creative writing? Crap. I don’t TELL stories, I read them. Curse you, college adviser! Where the eff is my paintbrush?” But then…THEN…

Then I sat down and wrote my first paper.

And I cried.

Not because it sucked (although…meh) but because writing from the bottom of my heart had stirred something inside me–something starving, that I hadn’t even known was hungry–and I couldn’t stop.

I wrote short stories and comic books and poems and novels…I wrote anything and everything I could pull out of me. All the while, I kept painting–even though this hungry thing inside me desperately wanted to be a WRITER.

But being a writer seemed impossible. And scary. And chalk-full of potential failures. So instead, I put myself through school as a teller at a credit union (bor-ing) and started my own design business painting murals.

 Years went by–YEARS, people!–and I was still a closet writer. Until one day in 2011, I asked a publishing company to edit a short story of mine, and before I knew it I was on the road to publishing my first book, Sophie & Carter.

Plan = Blown To Pieces

I didn’t plan to be a writer, but I dreamed about it. And despite all my planning, my dream came true… 

 

~ things about me ~

I'm an artist. I paint murals and stuff.

I'm weird about oral hygiene. I get a new toothbrush every two weeks. And I always have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss in my purse. Always.

My favorite game to play is Clue.

My sister, Cameron, is the funniest person I know. Once, she made me laugh so hard that I threw up on her. True story.

I love to dance. I suck at dancing--but I love it.

Coffee and I have a relationship. I call it true love.

My first car was a white '89 Subaru hatchback, with orange towels covering the seats, glow-in-the-dark paint outlining the dashboard, and bumper stickers galore on the back...I wasn't exactly "popular" in high school....

I love pretty much all shows on The CW. Especially Vampire Diaries.

My grandparents text message me daily. They're very cool.

In high school, I had A pair of patent-leather neon orange shoes that I wore shamelessly. Seriously. <---this most likely contributed to my NOT being popular in high school.

I am a reader. I love reading books...especially when they're part of a series.

I like vampires.

And werewolves.

And superheroes.

But not clowns. Clowns are creepy.

I totally let my kids color on the walls.

My cousin once pushed me into a slimy tadpole pond at my grandma's house, and then begged my grandma to let him keep all the tadpoles she pulled out of my wet hair, while I cried. I was nine. It was traumatizing. She let him keep the tadpoles.

I worked at a credit union for 7 years.

During my employment there, I was held at gunpoint 3 times.

So, I don't work at the credit union anymore.


All pictures by Bugg Photographer, LLC.