Oh, dear. This section is supposed to be about me. And you’ve obviously clicked on it expecting to get some sort of scoop on who I am or what makes me tick. And now that you’ve clicked and you’re sitting here staring me in the face, I can think of absolutely nothing you’d be interested in hearing. Oh, the pressure!

Hmm. Let me think.

Perhaps you’d like to know that I live in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Oh. You’ve never heard of it? Okay, well, it’s the third largest city in Brazil and has a population of about 4 million people. (Just trying to brush up your geography skills.)

What else? My husband and I have three children whose engines roar ninety mph all day long until we coax them to bed at night with marshmallows . They inspired my upcoming picture book MINI-RACER (Bloomsbury). (Just kidding about the marshmallows. Mostly.)

My husband inspired my upcoming picture book, ME WITH YOU (Philomel), when he asked me to write something for him. It turns out that my love poetry fits the picture book format better than the sonnet form.

I’ve been writing for four years (if you don’t count all the poems and stories I’ve made up since I was a child. In fact, I think the Haunted House Poem I wrote for a middle school anthology is some of my best work to date. Sadly, I didn’t save a copy. But trust me. It’d scare your nose hairs into a braid. )

I participate in two different critique groups with wonderful, talented writers who graciously allow me to hang onto their coattails. One of my critique groups occasionally posts to our collective blog. Click here for more information: http://funkyducklings.livejournal.com

Okay, so that’s about it. I know that I should probably add some more about my childhood, tormented and cruel as it was, that led me to be a writer. And I probably would add that, if it were true. But since my childhood was normal and loving and loads of fun, I’ll have to come back another time and detail all the raucous fun that made me the madwoman I am today.

I’ll get right on it. As soon as you quit staring at me. :)