What will Kentucky Book Festival visitors find on your table?

I write contemporary fiction for teens and tweens— books that deal with the messiness of growing up, but with a joyful and nuanced lense. My latest book is a Young Adult novel-in-verse called FOREVER IS NOW. It follows Sadie— a queer, poet-activist living with chronic anxiety. I also have two middle grade novels— IN THE KEY OF US, a dual POV novel that follows two Black girls who attend a competitive summer music camp and fall in-love, and FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME about a Black girl adopted into a white family and how she finds her sense of beloinging while navigating 6th grade, a cross-country move, and bullying.

Whom do you invite to stop by? Who will benefit from reading your book?

My books are aimed at young readers ages 8-18, and adults/educators who also enjoy reading, teaching, and engaging young adult books can also enjoy.

Could you please tell us something curious about you and/or your book?

Fun fact about me is that I was raised by classical musicians and I grew up playing flute and piano. All my books are heavily influenced by music, and there is a playlist for each one on spotify. In fact, I can’t start really writing a book without first creating a playlist.

Is this your first time participating in the 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?

Yes! This is my first time, but I am very excited. I am local, and I love meeting folks in the community who get as excited about books and storytelling as I do.