ABOUT
After living in Champaign, Illinois for over 20 years, my husband and I moved to New York City in 2014. My husband, Tony Liss, is a physicist and Provost at City College of New York. He was one of the people who discovered the top quark and is now involved in the work on the Higgs Boson. We have twin daughters and a son. I'm so proud of all of them!
I grew up on a dairy farm in south-central Kansas. I was the youngest of four children, so I’ve always had to endure being called the baby of the family. It wasn’t so terrible, though; I got to be the student when my sister and cousin wanted to play school. They taught me how to read before I went to kindergarten. I’ve been a bookworm ever since.
I didn't always want to be a writer. I held authors in such awe that I never dreamed I could join their ranks. I thought I might be a veterinarian or a doctor instead.
When I got older I became interested in basic scientific research. At the University of Kansas, I double-majored in Microbiology and English. My honors thesis advisor at KU encouraged me to pursue an advanced degree in immunology--the study of the immune system. I began my studies at the University of Chicago, but it wasn't long before I discovered that I just wasn't cut out to be a research scientist. I wanted to learn a little about a lot of things, but scientists are supposed to learn a lot about a few things. So I escaped with a Master's degree in Immunology and began writing about science and medicine instead--and I love it.
In 2006, I earned my M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. I learned much about writing fiction from my wonderful, talented professors.