About
Writing Journey
Born in Haiti and raised in Northern British Columbia, I now live in Costa Rica. I have traveled many places and done many jobs, but no matter where I was or what I was doing, I wrote about it. My roaming days are behind me, and I have happily put down my roots here in CR. I am a mom of three and a bilingual kindergarten teacher: our daily adventures provide me with neverending inspiration! No matter what I am writing, I have one goal; I want my readers to feel seen, whether they`re 3 years old or 83
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I began writing stories as soon as I could hold a crayon, and never stopped. One particular gem, titled "Bleep Blop Bloop and Blue Moon Cheese" won my school districts`s creative writing award. The manuscript is safe in my Mom`s basement, and may just need to be resurrected one day! In high school I started to keep a writing journal. I jotted down all the story ideas and character quotes that popped into my head - a practice I continue to this day. I loved to travel to far off places and imaginary worlds in the words of my stories, but I longed to explore the magical corners of the physical world as well.
During university I worked as a camp counselor for children with physical and mental disabilties - their daily bravery and resilience continues to inspire me. I covered my walls with maps and tropical posters and in 2008, after completing a BA in International Studies, I jumped on a plane to begin my adventures. I visited Asia and Europe, then took a one year job contract in Costa Rica. SURPRISE! I`m still here! Life`s twists and turns are wonderful. During my work term I certified as a Yoga Instructor, and began writing a health column for a local newspaper. I became the yoga teacher for our community preschool, and had my first child in 2011. Increasingly, I felt myself drawn to the creativity and joyful energy of working with young children.
My twins were born in 2015 and, once I made it through the wild ride of double toddlerhood, I actively pursued my teaching career. I was hired as the kindergarten teacher at a nearby bilingual school and began my Masters in Education. For my thesis project, I explored the effects of mindfulness practice on disruptive behaviours in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) classroom. The fact that I completed my thesis and earned my degree during the quarantine craziness of 2020 is nothing short of a miracle but....I did it! I proved to myself that I could achieve anything I set my mind to.
During all of these big family and career changes, I wrote. I wrote about my daily life, contributing to birth and family publications, but my creative output turned increasingly into picture book manuscripts. A middle grade adventure novel leapt out of my head and into my computer as well! I write both humorous and heartfelt stories, some incorporating my beloved second language (Spanish). I am passionate about creating diverse characters that allow children to see themselves on the page. I am proud to be a Costa Rican and I want to accurately represent the beauty of its people, culture, language and landscapes in my manuscripts.
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When not teaching, writing or building pirate forts at the beach, I can usually be found in a hammock under the mango tree with a good book.