About Kay

Well, for starters… she’s me! I love reading, Nascar, NFL football, cupcakes, and my family. Not necessarily in that order, of course.

Unlike some authors, I wasn’t born with a pencil in my hand. I did go through a phase of writing two-page mysteries when I was eight, however, where characters had names like Mary Alice Higgenbotham and the villain was occasionally a cat. In fact, my dad still has those stories and keeps threatening to sell them on eBay. But that’s a story for a different day. Along with why his nickname for me is Lambie Pie.

(EMBARRASSING FACT: He and my family actually yelled “Yay, Lambie Pie!” when my name was called at my college graduation. I am not even lying.)

Anyway, aside from that early but brief attack of the writing bug, I didn’t really start writing until I was in my early *cough*. (That’s French for “older than I’m admitting here”.) Which just goes to show that you’re never too old to learn something new. Or to speak fake French.

In my younger days, I was a pretty normal girl. Boy crazy since kindergarten, I think I had my first “boyfriend” in fourth grade. Dates back then consisted of meeting at the roller rink (wheels had just been invented) and grabbing the combs out of each other’s back pockets. Très romantic, I know.

Gimme a C!

By the time I hit junior high and high school, I was Cheerleader Girl. I played lots of other sports too–softball, volleyball, track, gymnastics, diving–but cheering became my passion. I wasn’t a bookaholic, but I was a sucker for teen romances and the Cheerleaders series (short-lived, but addicting). I also loved THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin. I still think it’s the most fun cipher mystery ever.

But what I remember most about growing up is being a champion daydreamer. I used to make lists–lots and lots of lists–of all the ways I wanted to make a difference in the world. The bigger the dream, the better!

College went by in a flash. I did a bit of cheering, rushed a sorority, studied, and hung out with friends. Before I knew it, I was graduating (remember the Lambie Pie incident?) and jumping into the world of grown-ups. Writing came along a while after that. I did my time as a good little Corporate girl, got married, got my MBA…

Wait, are you still with me? I heard some snoring there and thought it might be you. (I know. It bored me too. Which leads me to…)

Time for a little shake & bake

Eventually, I got sick of reading business books and needed something to shake things up. One quick trip to my local library, and I was hooked on fiction again. I’d forgotten how much fun reading books without bar charts could be!

Unfortunately, this did not bode well for my hubby when I declared that I would much rather write fun books than have a “real” job. (Hello? Who wouldn’t?) In the end, I decided it was way more entertaining to relive my younger years by writing stories I wish were based on my real life. Lucky for me, the hubster is very supportive and sent me on my merry way to pursue the writing life.

Which brings us back to being Writer Girl. I started off being a boy-crazy girl who loved dreaming big and turned into a happily-wedded author writing about smart kids, big dreams, and making a difference in the world.

It’s a pretty good life, I have to say. I totally lucked out that it happens to be mine.   :-)

kay_signature_350x43

"Girl power, baby! This is the book you want when you want to believe you can do anything!"

~ Becca Fitzpatrick
New York Times
bestselling author
Hush, Hush

"The Cinderella Society is just as much about empowering yourself as it is about the fun and romance, and the super secret society will appeal to fans of Ally Carter."

~ Tirzah, age 17
The Compulsive Reader

“The Cinderella Society is girl power in a great new package! Kay shows a real girl on a real path to finding out who she is who just happens to have a great support team there to help her when she falls! The Cinderella Society is a must read for teen girls! It deals with real issues that we’ve all had and are still facing in regards to how we fit into the world.”

~ Stacey Canova
Bookseller
Page Turners

"Empowering, flirty, and fun... The Cinderella Society was a blast to read!"

~ Jessica, age 14
Chick Lit Teens

“I loved watching Jess transform – to start to see what was inside of her and how to let that out. The conflict, the fantastic characters, the overall fun this book was to read… chick lit isn’t usually my thing, but this is so much more.”

~ Kristen H.
Children’s librarian
Bookworming in the 21st Century

"The Cinderella Society sent out such a positive message for girls and was a book showing girls CAN do anything. This is a must read!"

~ Erica, age 16
The Book Cellar