CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR
I was born in Carmel Highlands, California, where my friends and I ran wild through the Big Sur wilderness that surrounded our homes. We were independent kids, building forts and acting out adventure stories in the woods, relying on each other and our own instincts with no adults telling us what to do until we finally returned home for dinner. Later my family moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then to San Francisco, California. I always brought my favorite books, wherever we moved, and I always found new friends who loved to read. Now I write books for children and teens—for me, it’s the best job in the world!
I am the author of the middle grade novel, Butterfly Girl, and the picture book Ten Clever Ninjas (Clear Fork Publishing). Survivor Mountain is my newest middle grade novel. It will be released by Wild Ink Publishing in 2025. This action-adventure story is based on real life: when I was a junior in college, I enrolled in a summer program with the National Outdoor Leadership School where I learned to navigate without a compass, climb rock cliffs, and create tools and shelter to survive in the rugged mountain wilderness. The first crush romance, friendships, and frenemy struggles are also based on my own teen experience, along with the story’s themes of post traumatic distress, depression, and anxiety. An author’s note is included to encourage readers to reach out for mental health support when needed.
I went to college at UC Santa Barbara and earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. I currently live in Florida with my husband and college student son.
Please connect with me on X/Twitter @kidlitSarah
Random fun facts about me:
I’m a certified scuba diver.
(My dive buddies and I explored a shipwreck that was 120 feet beneath the surface. Spooky, but fun!)
I can chat in Spanish.
(I love everything about language, both English and Spanish, and entered college as a Spanish major.)
I’m an experienced backpacker and rock climber.
(When I was a junior in college, I enrolled in a summer program with the National Outdoor Leadership School where I learned the skills needed to survive in the mountain wilderness.)
I worked at an art gallery in San Francisco for two years.
(It was a super fun job, and the art was amazing!)
I LOVE animals—I had ten pets when I was ten!
(Two rabbits, two guinea pigs, one hamster, three cats, and two dogs.)
My first friend is still my best friend . . . we met when I was three.
I’m a member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
