"Stories change people. People change the world."
- Chelsea Pennington, Author of The Mistletoe Connection
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!
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, expected May 2024
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
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.
for the teens
young adult sci-fi, fantasy, & paranormal*
*all with a touch of romance. because duh.
YA projects
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
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: Re-writing, someday...
Photo credit: Alek Kalinowski
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
The Treasure of the Island
Explorers #2
More Adventure Awaits!
Cap's new friends won't rest until they 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: Plotting and "what if"-ing
"What kind of storm makes you smarter? A brain-storm!" - Elliot the Cook