I started penning stories at age 9--not because I was a child prodigy, but because TV time was strictly limited and I had to entertain myself somehow. Those early scribblings evolved from tales about magical hamsters to slightly more sophisticated works that occasionally make me cringe when I find them in old notebooks.

By day, I wrangle commas and metaphors as a substitute teacher and tutor. I've spent years convincing teenagers that Shakespeare wasn't just some dead guy with a thing for tights, and yes, grammar actually matters in real life. My students would tell you I'm equal parts inspiring and eye-roll inducing with my terrible literary puns.

Home is Los Angeles, where I blend right in with the other 8 million creative types who claim to be "working on something." The difference? I occasionally finish what I start. The city's perfect mix of sunshine and traffic jams provides ample time for both vitamin D absorption and plot development.