I grew up in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of two public school teachers. A born naturalist trapped in a big city, I studied every creature of my parents’ tiny, wild-grown backyard. Reading, especially animal stories, was an equal passion that led to my love of writing.
Realizing a childhood dream, I left the city to major in Ecology, Ethology and Evolution at the University of Illinois in Urbana. In field biology courses, I discovered my compulsion to catch snakes and salamanders wasn’t as weird as I’d thought. During one of those classes, my first wobbly view of a vivid blue Indigo Bunting through binoculars was the moment I decided to focus on avian biology.
While working as a field biologist, I studied writing, poetry, and literature for several years. But birds eventually won over writing, and I completed a Master of Science degree. My thesis topic focused on another gorgeous blue bird, the small but magnificent Cerulean Warbler.
I have worked as an endangered bird specialist, and also served as an assistant editor for a scientific journal. I married an ornithologist who fully understands my nature-nerdiness. We left Illinois when he accepted a position at University of Florida. Since we moved, raising three children and having little time for biological work has brought me back to writing. We now live in the Florida countryside with as many birds, butterflies, and native flowers as we can lure to our little wildlife sanctuary.