I grew up in a pointy white house in Baltimore, MD, with my mom, dad, older brother, and persnickety dog. From grades 6-12, I attended an all-girls school where I learned, among other things, that I really loved to read, and that writing English papers wasn't as painful for me as it was for other people. (I also learned that I was not meant to do Calculus. There are several people who will vouch for this.)
I went on to major in English at James Madison University. When I graduated, I moved to New York City, and for several years entertained myself by pursuing careers that were wrong for me. Eventually I succumbed to my urge to write and enrolled in a fiction-writing workshop. I was hooked. I continued taking workshop courses, and in 2005 obtained my MFA in Creative Writing from the New School. Shortly thereafter, I got an agent, sold my first book, and here we are.