Biography
I grew up near New Orleans, Louisiana (USA). Not only is New Orleans the birthplace of Jazz music, it's also known for its unique food (like gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, etc.) and Mardi Gras, an annual parade-filled celebration that culminates on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent. Living in hot and humid Louisiana meant that I spent a great deal of time in or near the water. On weekends, I'd fish and crab in the bayous or swim at the local pool. My favorite subjects in school were creative writing and art. Outside of school, I danced, performed in plays, and was a member of a local drill team. After high school, I attended Boston College, where I co-founded the Golden Eagle Dance Team and graduated with a B.S. in Marketing and Economics. After working in advertising, I moved to London to earn my M.A. in Southeast Asian Studies.
It was while living in England that I got the idea for the Secret Agent Jack Stalwart series. I wanted to create a children's book series that chronicled the global adventures of a courageous junior secret agent. Specifically, I wanted my main character to work (and inspire others to work) to protect the world's most precious people, places and possessions.
Why the name Jack Stalwart? "Stalwart" means "dependable" and "trustworthy", which is what I wanted my main character to be. For fun, I self-published the first five stories. Once I'd sold a few thousand books, Penguin Random House Children's Books (UK) acquired the series. Since then, 13 additional books have been published (including the Secret Agents Jack and Max Stalwart spin-off), millions of copies have sold, and "Jack" been translated into multiple languages. Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to meet some incredible children, parents, teachers, booksellers, and fellow authors, while promoting the series and talking about Jack's adventures.
Recently, I produced and published my very first podcast! It's an episodic adventure series based on my middle grade book The Treasure of Jean Lafitte, which is the first in the Swamp Mysteries Detective Agency series and one of my personal favorites. The story chronicles the adventures of a group of 12-year-old friends as they solve paranormal mysteries in and around the haunted swamps of Louisiana. You can find out more about it here.
If you have any questions about me, my work and/ or my upcoming appearances, you can visit the Q&A page or send me a note via the Contact page.
It was while living in England that I got the idea for the Secret Agent Jack Stalwart series. I wanted to create a children's book series that chronicled the global adventures of a courageous junior secret agent. Specifically, I wanted my main character to work (and inspire others to work) to protect the world's most precious people, places and possessions.
Why the name Jack Stalwart? "Stalwart" means "dependable" and "trustworthy", which is what I wanted my main character to be. For fun, I self-published the first five stories. Once I'd sold a few thousand books, Penguin Random House Children's Books (UK) acquired the series. Since then, 13 additional books have been published (including the Secret Agents Jack and Max Stalwart spin-off), millions of copies have sold, and "Jack" been translated into multiple languages. Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to meet some incredible children, parents, teachers, booksellers, and fellow authors, while promoting the series and talking about Jack's adventures.
Recently, I produced and published my very first podcast! It's an episodic adventure series based on my middle grade book The Treasure of Jean Lafitte, which is the first in the Swamp Mysteries Detective Agency series and one of my personal favorites. The story chronicles the adventures of a group of 12-year-old friends as they solve paranormal mysteries in and around the haunted swamps of Louisiana. You can find out more about it here.
If you have any questions about me, my work and/ or my upcoming appearances, you can visit the Q&A page or send me a note via the Contact page.