As an author, I’ve worked on three kinds of projects: I wrote two books for Disney Publishing, I worked with Ridley Pearson on some of his Kingdom Keepers books, and I published two short stories. (I’ve also worked as a writer-for-hire for becker&mayer! – an imprint of the Quarto Group – but the three-book series I wrote for them, which was set to be published in March 2021, got cancelled due to changes in the market. Darn pandemic!)

In addition to being a writer-for-hire, I’m working on several of my own concepts, including my first novel! But I’m always eager to pick up more writing projects, so if you’re hiring freelance writers, please check out my resume and contact me.

Keep reading to learn more about my published work…

Disney Publishing

Being a writer-for-hire for Disney Publishing means that I adapt Disney movies into children’s books! (Best job ever, right???) I’ve written two so far, with hopefully more to follow:

Big Hero 6 Read-Along Storybook and CD

Published May 2018

This picture book tells the story of Big Hero 6, featuring the adventures of boy genius Hiro as he and his friends—including the inflatable robot Baymax—become superheroes. Bah-a-la-la-la!

Fun fact: This book (and the accompanying CD) includes actual dialogue from the movie!

Aladdin: Beyond the Palace Walls

Published April 2019

This early reader (based on the live-action remake of Aladdin) tells the story of Princess Jasmine. Jasmine is smart, kind, and strong. She’s the perfect person to rule Agrabah someday, but can she convince everyone that she’s capable of more than marrying a prince?

Fun fact: I read the movie’s script—before the movie came out—in order to write this book!

Kingdom Keepers

Ridley Pearson’s Kingdom Keepers is a New York Times best-seller AND my all-time favorite series. In these books, a group of teenagers protect Disney’s theme parks from the villains who want to destroy them. And guess what? After I won a bunch of writing contests, I was lucky enough to go from super-fan to co-author! (To learn more about that, check out my blog post.)

Kingdom Keepers VII: The Insider 

Published April 2014

Kingdom Keepers VII: The Insider is the epic conclusion of the original series, although multiple spin-offs followed. The first four books are set in Walt Disney World, followed by two books that take place on a Disney cruise… but the final battle is fittingly set in the park that started it all: Disneyland. To reward loyal fans, Ridley Pearson incorporated paragraphs of contest winners’ writing into the book. Pay special attention to Chapters 13 and 18: I’m Adventure_Willa!

Fun fact: This is the book that started my career with Disney, thanks to the Kingdom Keepers Insider writing contests that introduced me to Disney editors!

Unforeseen: A Kingdom Keepers Novella

Published March 2014

Unforeseen is a prequel to KK7, told from the perspective of a character named Jess. Unfortunately, it’s not currently available: it was exclusive to the Kingdom Keepers Insider website, which has since shut down. But keep your fingers crossed that it’s re-released in the future.

Fun fact: After Ridley Pearson invited me to co-write this novella, I could officially call myself a published author!

Short Stories

During my time as an online student at Southern New Hampshire University, two of my short stories were featured in SNHU’s literary journal, The Manatee:

An Unexpected Adventure

Published in Spring 2013

In this story, thirteen-year-old Matt is forced to put aside his video games when his mom makes him play outside with his little sister. He doesn’t expect to find anything but boredom… until he finds a magic wand!

Fun fact: Although Unforeseen made me feel like a real author, this was the first time my work was in print!

The Other Fairy Godmother

Published in Spring 2016

In this story, the classic tale of Cinderella goes awry when the Fairy Godmother’s sister steps in, using her dark magic to put Cinderella under a sleeping curse instead of sending her to the ball.

Fun fact: This piece holds a very special place in my heart, because the concept—with a few adjustments—became the seed for my first original novel!

Concepts and Upcoming Projects

I’m currently developing several original projects. I normally keep my concepts to myself until they’re published… but I’m going to make an exception for you, readers! These projects are in various stages of completion: they range from short stories that have the potential to be expanded into something longer, to works that I’m currently writing, to completed manuscripts that are ready to query. While I can’t share details, I hope you enjoy these teasers about my works-in-progress!

• A chapter book series about fairy tales, reimagined to take place in a modern-day middle school
• A holiday picture book with a new twist on ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas 
• A princess and a dragon who don’t conform to expectations
• A girl who adopts a cat, then discovers that he has magical powers—and so does she
• A question-and-answer book, co-written with Santa Claus himself
• And more!

Most exciting of all, I’m writing my first novel! The Other Fairy Godmother is a middle-grade fairytale reimagining/mash-up. Curious about the details? Well… it’s almost ready to query, so I can’t share much. But since you asked so nicely, here’s a one sentence synopsis:

In a kingdom where fairy tales are relived every generation, happy endings are dictated by a magical book—until the Fairy Godmother’s sister breaks free of her destiny, redefining Happily Ever After forever.

For the latest updates on this project and more, follow me on social media! I post daily writing updates on Twitter (and in my Instagram story) when I’m working on The Other Fairy Godmother, for those who want to stay up-to-date on my progress. I’m currently revising it before sending it out to agents, so wish me luck!