I was born in New Britain, Connecticut, and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia I also spent a year 5th grade in Montgomery, Alabama, and a year in Ann Arbor, Michigan 8th grade As a child, I always wanted to be a writer, but I had lots of other ambitions too I wanted to be a teacher, a librarian, a movie star, the president of the United States, and a ballerina I didn t achieve all my goals I never became a movie star, the president of the U.S or a ballerina But I ve been a teacher and a librarian and most of all, a writer I ve been writing for as long as I can remember Growing up, I always kept a diary I wrote poems, stories, plays, songs and lots of letters Writing wasn t easy for me, but it felt natural and right.I ve always read a lot, too I was an English major at Emory University I love Shakespeare , and I also received a master s degree in library science at Emory I earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Chicago, and I taught children s and teen literature at St John s University in New York for over 20 years Now, I m a full time writer, living in Paris, France the most beautiful city in the world.