It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Where I live in the Northeast, February can be a dreary month. Comfort food and sweet treats are a great way to beat the winter gloom. Valentine’s Day is always an especially fun way to spread kindness and cheer in chilly weather. Inspired by my Scholastic foodie book, Donut Go Breaking...Read More
Happy February, Foodie Readers! Have I got a wonderful new book recommendation for you! Fellow middle-grade author Janae Marks has just released her debut novel, From the Desk of Zoe Washington, and it’s an absolute delight. The story of Zoe is one that will stay with me forever. Although, admittedly, I have a soft spot...Read More
My daughter asked for a fairy house for Christmas. She was very specific that it should be two stories and be made from a tree like a real fairy might have. Because I’ve always loved a challenge and also love arts and crafts projects, I decided to make one for her myself. Once I decided...Read More
It’s the holiday season. Snow is falling. The air is crisp and cold. The smell of cinnamon and fresh pine needles fills my house. This is one of my favorite times of year. It’s also one of the best times of year for cozy cups of hot cocoa. My latest hot cocoa recipe is inspired...Read More
So…it’s confession time. My homemade macarons do NOT look like the ones on the cover of my book, Macarons at Midnight. My homemade macarons are not perfectly round, and sometimes not perfectly fluffy. In fact, when I made these Pumpkin Spice N’ Everything Nice macarons, they weren’t perfect, or even really that pretty. However, they...Read More
The ideas for my stories come from many different sources. I’m inspired by people I meet, places I visit, adventures I’ve had, and even by my own dreams. My most recent middle-grade novel, A Tale Magnolious, was inspired by a dream about a real elephant named Mary. This is her story. Mary the Elephant Mary...Read More
One of my newest middle-grade novels, A Tale Magnolious, centers on the deep and tender friendship between orphan Nitty Luce and Magnolious the elephant. Part of the reason I chose to write about Nitty and Magnolious is because I’ve always been fascinated by the connections I see between people and animals. Animals provide us with...Read More
This Halloween, if you’re in the mood for a frightfully delicious shake that will haunt you and all of your friends, give The Monster Mash Shake a try! The recipe is simple, easy, fun, and as crazy as the other shakes in my latest foodie book, Shake It Off! Here are the ingredients: *purple and...Read More
It’s autumn, which means the return of sweater weather, crackling fires, flaming foliage, and comfort food. It’s my favorite season, and puts me in the mood for baking. One of my favorite fall desserts is pie, which is why I especially loved writing about pie in I Only Have Pies For You. While fresh berries...Read More
