In progress
Part I of a series: Catherine and Petrus, or Beauty and the Beast (working title)
An alternate-history love story about the real-life 16th century French couple who inspired Beauty and the Beast. Catherine is a lovely young human woman at the court of Queen Catherine de Medici; Petrus, though covered with hair from head to toe, claims not to be one of the Loup Garou recently integrated into polite society. Still, the queen orders that Catherine and Petrus wed as proof that humans and werewolves can live together in harmony. But animosities between the couple–and in the court as various factions vie for control of the throne–challenge the queen’s assertion that love conquers all.
Part 2 of a series: Secrets of the Wolf Girl
Twenty years after the events of Catherine and Petrus–the real-life inspirations for Beauty and the Beast–their hairy daughter, Francesca, must rescue her little sister from the clutches of the Marchesa of Soragna–aka Mistress of the House of Wolves. Living in Italy at a time when superstitions about monsters and magic overlap new ideas about humanism and science, Francesca must use her alchemical skills as well as her wolflike instincts to save her family, and the rest of Soragna, from power-hungry monsters.
Standalone novel: Mystic Drive
A young-adult horror/mystery novel set in 1980s Wisconsin about a teenage girl navigating her mom’s disappearance, a Goth love interest, and a band of murderous circus folk that threaten to tear her life–and the entire town–apart.
Standalone novel: New Orleans Dystopia (working title)
An ode to the work of Shirley Jackson, primarily We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House, mashed together with the legend of Lizzy Borden. Set in near-future, post-hurricane New Orleans, older sister Patience struggles to keep house for herself and volatile Mallory without electricity, running water, or parents. When they receive a letter from Uncle Charles about selling the house, the sisters must find ways to hold on to the only home they know while keeping their many skeletons buried.
Standalone novel: Gudrid the Far-Traveler
A YA novel in verse about a legendary teenage Viking girl who explored the far north with her family and on her own, eventually crossing the ocean to the New World.
Standalone novel: Journey to the Center of the Desk
Wacky, fast-paced, early middle-grade novel for ages 7 to 10: Harriet the Spy as if written by Tom Angleberger. Stuck in tech-phobic Pencilvania, wanna-be reporter Lilly Tran and STEM whiz kid “Carrot” Campbell vow to be a P.E.S.T. (Pencilvania Elementary Scientific Threat). When they discover a teacher’s unbelievable secret that could destroy the school, and perhaps the town, they must decide what’s more important: pursuing their dreams of winning the science fair or saving the town they despise.
Short story: Little Lead Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood from a sci-fi perspective: what if Red was a robot, and the Wolf was an outer-space alien?
Short story: The Aegis Speaks
A version of Medusa’s story in which her monstrousness is a gift, not a punishment.
Picture book: My Grandma, the Alien
Is Grandma from outer space? Why else would she smush bananas into the radiator or put her underwear in the dishwasher? Mom and Dad try to explain dementia, but when Grandma puts on her cape and announces she’s going home, the child eagerly awaits the spaceship with her. Together, Grandma and grandchild eventually redefine what it means to be family—and to be home.
An author’s note offers additional information to help children demystify dementia, as well as a few resources. I was inspired to write “My Grandma, the Alien” after observing family members with young children handle a grandparent’s memory loss with gentleness and humor, always emphasizing compassion and family connection.
Comparable books include Max Wallack’s Why Did Grandma Put Her Underwear in the Refrigerator? and Julia Jarmon’s Lovely Old Lion.