I’m technically a dual citizen. I carry two ID cards in my wallet: one is a Washington State driver’s license; the other proves my citizenship status in the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.
I Can Make This Promise
I’ve always wanted to write books. But I also went through other career phases. At various points of my life, I wanted to become an archaeologist, a professional dancer, or a nurse.
My debut novel is inspired by my life. It’s not a memoir, though. It’s a work of contemporary, middle grade fiction, and I would never call it autobiographical. But I would consider use of the phrase “autoethnographical.” That feels more accurate to me.
I love adorably awkward protagonists. I love reading about them. I love writing about them. Sometimes, I wish I could send them care packages.
I’m an Aquarius. A triple Aquarius, to be exact. Sun, Saturn, and Mercury. This explains a lot about me, including my notebooks filled with random story snippets, my eclectic podcast library, and my tendency to seem aloof or detached, especially in the middle of large gatherings.
I’m a Hufflepuff. For many years, I believed I was a Slytherin. But in retrospect, I realized I mainly wanted to align myself with them, in order to prove that not all Slytherins are evil or self-serving. Which is a profoundly Hufflepuff-ian thing to do.
MG books on my TBR include: Other Words for Home, by Jasmine Warga. Lalani of the Distant Sea, by Erin Entrada Kelly. And Indian No More, by Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation).
I’m currently reading Roar, by Cora Carmack. And I highly recommend it. It has excellent world-building and romantic tension. I love fantasy novels that follow fierce, somewhat self-sacrificing heroines. I love stories filled with illegal forms of magic, deceitful rulers, and innocent people yearning for freedom. This book has it all!
I always write love stories. But I don’t always write about romantic forms of love. My debut, I Can Make This Promise, is mostly about family love. The type of love that expands and stretches across multiple generations. The type of love that can reach beyond impossible boundaries. The type of love that ultimately keeps no secrets.