about lisa

I'm a native Oregonian, which means my childhood summers were spent camping, fishing, reading books, and enjoying the sun, when it finally came out.

One summer, I picked strawberries to earn money. Writing a book reminds me of that summer job. Every morning I would grab the empty crate and wonder how I could possibly fill it. I tried a bunch of different techniques to see if there was a way to fill my crate faster.

In the end, I learned if I show up, work hard, and don't give up, the crate gets filled, just like the book gets written. You might think I would never want to see another strawberry again, but it's actually quite the opposite. I love strawberries. And you can guess how I feel about writing.

These days, when I'm not writing, I spend my summers, and every other part of the year, sharing all the wonderful things Oregon has to offer with my husband, two sons, a dog and a cat.

To learn more about me, here's a little game we play at our house called "If You Had to Choose One."

Mornings or Nights?

Definitely mornings. If you were to peek in my office at 6 a.m. on any given day, you'd probably find me at my computer with a cup of hot tea by my side, writing away (when I'm not distracted by e-mail and Livejournal, which happens more than I like). I love those morning hours when my family is still sleeping and the house is quiet except for the tap, tap, tapping on my keyboard. And yes, as a result, I pretty much turn into a pumpkin by 10:00 p.m.

Summer or Winter?

I live in Oregon. What do you think?
(hint: winters are very gray and wet, summers are warm and beautiful)

Beach or Mountains?

Let's see, when we go to the mountains, we have to sleep in a tent. When we go to the beach, we stay in a cozy little house or a nice hotel room. I'll go with beach.

Jeans or skirts?

Well, I work at a hospital as a Compensation Analyst, so I wear my share of skirts. But if I was a millionaire, I'd wear jeans everyday, write in the mornings, go to the gym at noon, and watch General Hospital and Oprah in the afternoons. Yeah, definitely jeans.

Dog or Cat?

Here's your chance to meet our wonderful pets. Stormy is the dog and Sparkles is the cat.

I love them both, but Sparkles enjoys waking me up at 3 a.m. to go outside. Yes, at 3 a.m., while my dog is happily snoozing, like I want to be, I definitely choose dog for this question. But during the day, they are equally adorable, don't you think?

Movies or TV?

I love going to the movies and don't go very often, so I'll say movies for this one. But I have a few favorite TV shows I love to watch – Grey's Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, Don't Forget the Lyrics, and Project Runway.

Cook or clean?

Ugh. Neither. But you see, with this game, you HAVE to choose one. So, I guess I'd rather cook. Actually, I do enjoy baking yummy treats. You'll often find me whipping up a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or a loaf of banana bread. Still, as far as cooking, well, that millionaire dream I mentioned before? It would also include a full-time chef, and a maid as well.

Lucky Charms or Smart Start?

Hmmm, I have to be careful here. This may tell you something about my age. Yeah, wouldn't you like to know. Okay, fine, I'm older than 21 and younger than 75. I'm trying to eat healthier, so I'll go with Smart Start (although just between you and me, I love Lucky Charms a hundred times more than Smart Start).

Babies or Teenagers?

I really love babies. I wrote a book about a baby called BABY CAN'T SLEEP. But some of my happiest memories are from my days at Lebanon Union High School. Teens are so much fun! I've written a couple of books about teenagers, too, including I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, my debut young adult novel. Anyway, this is a tough one. I have two boys, one of whom is a teenager. But they were the most adorable babies. Still, I'm going to go with teens for this one. Because, oh, to be sixteen again!

Read or write?

Okay, this is impossible. I can't pick one of these. I can't. I adore both equally, it just depends on my mood as to which one I want to do. All right, let's think about this. Reading is easier. Much easier. But there is something about writing that makes my soul sing. Most of the time anyway. I don't know. A good writer has to be a good reader. So, I'll say read today. (Mostly because I'm getting tired of writing these silly answers).

The beginning or the end?

What a perfect last question!
The end.

But of course, there is always a new beginning after that...