Oh Hello,

I’m a writer from Huntsville, Alabama, with a background in musical theatre, dance, and storytelling across many forms, so I’ve always been drawn to emotionally immersive work. That said, growing up, I struggled to read, and for a time, I memorized books rather than truly reading them. Much of that made sense later, when I was diagnosed as neurodivergent, with ADHD, partial dyslexia, and a reading disability. The fact that I grew into someone who deeply loves writing and storytelling is not lost on me, and I hope my journey speaks to others who have faced similar challenges.

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My love for storytelling began early, when my dad let me design my own children’s books in PowerPoint on our family computer. That instinct followed me into high school, where I convinced my English teacher to let our class perform a play I had written for our final exam. Writing quickly became both a creative refuge and a way of making sense of the world around me.

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I later earned my BA in Musical Theatre from the University of Alabama, where I received a scholarship to work alongside the Director of Musical Theatre, co-teaching and choreographing upper-level courses. I also managed the UA Dance Lab, tutoring fellow performers and supporting a wide range of productions as a choreographer, assistant choreographer, performer, dance captain, and assistant stage manager. Those experiences deepened my understanding of story, movement, and character, foundations that would eventually shape my work on the page.

 

After college, I returned to Huntsville and balanced corporate work with teaching dance. I later joined The Academy for Academics and Arts, where I co-directed the Dance Magnet Program and taught students across multiple genres. Alongside my co-director, I storyboarded, built, directed, and performed in two original ballets, as well as numerous concerts and showcases. As a committed advocate for arts-integrated learning, I collaborated often with fellow educators to create interdisciplinary, student-driven projects, guiding students through poetry-to-movement work and introducing essay writing into my cultural dance curriculum.

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During the pandemic, I made the heartbreaking decision to step away from teaching to support my family’s needs at home. In the nursery, during the not-so-quiet hours between feedings, playtime, and naps, I returned to writing with real intention and drafted the first version of A Daughter of Divine Blood.

Now, with my husband, two children, and an assortment of beloved pets, I find myself pulled in many directions, yet still unraveling Ila’s story and others. Whether I’m choreographing or reworking a passage for the tenth time, I remain driven by the same impulse that inspired those earliest homemade books: an enduring fascination with the ways stories shape us, connect us, and help us imagine something more.