Q: Why did you choose to focus on stories set in education?

 

A: Somewhere, I remember reading or hearing that you should “Write what you know.” Well, I started writing my first novel while I was still in college, pursuing an English Education degree. During that time, all I knew was education. It was coming out of my ears. It took me about three years to finish the novel. And by then, the “what if” question had given me over a dozen book ideas, all dealing with what I was currently cramming into my skull—education. Besides, education is in my blood. I love learning and tutoring everything from writing an essay to perfecting a tennis backswing to cooking collard greens.