"Stories change people. People change the world."

- Chelsea Pennington, Author of The Mistletoe Connection

portrait of the author, a light-skinned woman with slightly purple hair and galaxy nebula leggings lying upside-down on a skating rink

once upon a time...

I believe that stories make up the fabric of who we are, and there’s a little bit of storyteller in all of us. I’ve been writing fiction of various flavors for over two decades, interrupted only by occasional (mis)adventures with dissertations and technical papers. My imagination is always up to some sort of mischief in the background of whatever I’m doing — skating, studying, sleeping trying to sleep.

My fiction comes in two primary genres: teen sci-fi/fantasy and adult contemporary romance. While the two have their different flavors, all my books keep sex scenes behind closed doors and contain only medium/mild language content. I consider all my books in either genre to be appropriate for teen or adult readers ages 16+.

If you're here for the kids adventure fantasy series I co-wrote with my children, head over to our Explorers page for more fun, including our first book The Curse of the Crow, out now in paperback, audiobook and e-book!

Here's to happily ever after!

12

complete novels

3

1,081,000+

words written

smart & sweet

adult contemporary romance

a host of happilys

Skate Cute

Sacreola Sweethearts #1

Astronomy PhD student Kriss finds an escape in artistic skating at the rink in her old hometown. But she can't escape the attention of two familiar admirers from the nearby fire station.

Status: Out now! Buy it here.

Read an excerpt here

25% author proceeds support the BoCo Wildfire Fund

Ever After, Etc

Sacreola Sweethearts #2

Romance author Angie knows that happiness doesn't come in ever after doses. But when her favorite bookstore is threatened by redevelopment, she launches a daring writing project to help save the shop... and the cute shop owner.

Status: Editing, postponed for other projects


Photo credit: Lucas George Wendt

Eat, Drink, & Be Married

Pack Your Bags anthology

For biologist Sarah, the best thing about her sister's wedding in Puerto Rico is the plants. The worst: spending the night in the bathroom instead of flirting with the best man. Then she finds out she's accidentally in his room.

Status: Out now! Buy it here


Photo credit: Angelo Pantazis

Dog Days of Winter

Sacreola Sweethearts #3

Lili comes home for Christmas in Sacreola with a secret, one that will break her daddy's newly refurbished heart. Can Jordan, the Snowy Owl's cute and competent barista, find a way to hold Lili's own heart through the aftermath? 

Status: Outlining and plotting


Photo credit: Clem Onojeghuo
a woman's legs, with galaxy nebula leggings and rollerblades on a skating rink

Her mouth hung open for a moment, so close. "You did not," she protested hotly, pushing herself onto her elbow on the blanket to face him down. Even closer now. 

"Not what?" 

"Just turn my dissertation into a pickup line."


Kriss and Chase, Skate Cute

(Don't worry, he didn't. Well, not exactly... Read more in the excerpt below.)

a Skate Cute excerpt

In which Kriss and Chase enjoy some backyard star-gazing and a dissertation discussion. And, well, more

Skate Cute excerpt

for the teens

young adult sci-fi, fantasy, & paranormal*

*all with a touch of romance. because duh.

YA projects

Fugitive Star

Fugitive Star, #1

Aylin Starr is weird, and so is her starship. She's also fleeing for her life. The only hope for her and her ship is to pretend to be as normal as possible, at an old-fashioned military training school that's bad at keeping secrets.

Status: Up next! Outlining for NaNo 2024...


Photo credit: Alek Kalinowski

Fighting Blind

The Stangled Series, #1

The jungle has it in for Meia, and the rest of the planet's new colony too. Jungle spores stole Meia's vision years ago, and now a new threat is targeting the tech she uses to see. And the tech that the rest of the colony uses to exist.

Status: On the shelf for re-writing


Photo credit: Vista Wei

Fighting Blood

The Stangled Series, #2

The threats keep coming. Now the colony's stangled residents are battling a strange sickness that could devastate their fledgling population, Meia and her friends included. The jungle might hold the cure... if they can survive the confrontation.

Status: Waiting for Book 1


Photo credit: Mike Blank

Ellie Goes To Prom

 Series TBD

Senior prom is a big deal. Ellie's dad said "you can't go, it's too dangerous," but what he really meant was "use the forbidden magic stuff stashed in the basement to dredge up a magical bodyguard to bring along." Obviously.

Status: Plotting


Photo credit: Janko Ferlič
an airplane viewed from above in a jungle

I fit my helmet into place. I can see Jaze doing the same, then he tosses me a glance, a quick shifting of eyes in shadow. “You ready?”

I nod, tugging my right arm guard a little tighter as I step past him toward the ring. This is it. It’s going to be awful. What sort of idiot trains herself to fight blind versus the class’s toughest sparring partner? This idiot, apparently. 

He’s going to wipe the floor with me…


Meia and Jaze, Fighting Blind

for the kids

Explorers: An adventure fantasy series*

*co-written with my two kids!

Explorers #1

Prepare your Potions, Buckle your Swashes... Adventure Awaits!

Set sail with Captain Gabriel and the crew to explore a world of magical unicorns, "macguffin" flowers, cursed crows, hilarious jokes, and more! 

Status: Out now! Buy it here

10% of author proceeds support our school library!

"Is this book about anti-gravity? Because I couldn't put it down!" - Elliot the Cook

Explorers #2

Is the hidden treasure of Tesoro Island legend... or legit?

Dragon prince Fuego and the rest of Cap's new friends are setting off find the elusive treasure of Tesoro Island, even if only to save it from the greedy clutches of Master Ellen and the wizards! But the island has secrets of its own... 

Status: Out now! Buy it here or direct from the publisher


"You're gonna wanna see how it all pans out." - Elliot the Cook, on behalf of Panny the magical frying pan