What will Kentucky Book Festival visitors find on your table?

I will have three books at my table. I am a cross-genre writer (and reader!).
You will find Intruder Alert, my early chapter book. Hunt for clues within the chapters to determine who the intruder is, and why is someone stealing acorns from our forest friends?
Babble to My Bark is a picture book written from the dog’s perspective as she welcomes home a new family member! Inspired by adoption, this book highlights that no matter how a child comes into the family, it makes no difference to man’s best friend.
A Different Kind of Grief: When Eternal Hope is Unsure is a raw and vulnerable look at faith, God, and how grief can impact our view of both. Though His footprints are unseen, He never leaves us.

Whom do you invite to stop by? Who will benefit from reading your book?
I invite readers of all ages to come by! Young listeners will delight in the story and illustrations found in Babble to My Bark. No matter how a family comes together, the pup will welcome each person home! Young readers will be captivated by the forest friends in Intruder Alert, and will have loads of fun filling in their log book as you hunt for clues. Did you know a 10 year old illustrated Intruder Alert for me?! Young artists: be inspired! Who knows if you might illustrate a book one day that finds itself at the Kentucky Book Festival! And for all of us who walk this life, one day grief will come. Books are a source of comfort, hope. We can grieve within them. If you or someone you know has suffered a loss that threatens to shake your faith, A Different Kind of Grief is for you.

Could you please tell us something curious about you and/or your book?
My favorite part about being an author is visiting schools. I was a struggling reader growing up. I know what it is like to be the worst reader in the class, the last one to turn in a test, and to not be able to process and comprehend my assignments. That was young Emmie. When I visit schools, I have this incredible opportunity to not only share my book(s), but also speak directly to students – no matter where they find themselves on their reading journey, I encourage them to not give up. Keep practicing. Lean on their teachers and others who support them! Their struggle now may be their triumph later. I’m on a mission to encourage the “little Emmies” out there. What a gift to do that!

Is this your first time participating in Kentucky Book Festival? If yes – what are you looking forward to
the most? If you’ve participated before – what was your favorite experience at the Festival?
I am beyond thrilled to be attending the Kentucky Book Festival for the first time! I’m an extrovert who loves meeting new people. I look forward to not only sharing my books with a wider audience – and sharing the story of how each one came to be – but I also look forward to hearing the stories of others. My books have a way of opening people up and causing them to share about their own lives. Books bring us together, and I’m here for it.
I’m also a sucker for meeting authors. I enjoy meeting the creatives behind the characters and plots. And you better believe that I will snag some new reads at KBF!
I still cannot believe that this is my life! Having the word “author”under my name is a dream come true.
Keep dreaming, readers. Keep dreaming!