Q. In The Jacket I Wear in the Snow, is the child a boy or a girl?
A. Yes! (Big pause to consider the absurdity of that answer.) When I was writing the story I was thinking about a boy, but never gave that clue in the words. When Nancy Winslow Parker drew the pictures, she was thinking about a girl. Most of the pictures could be either, but most boys don’t wear sweaters with cute little sheep on them.

My husband, Eric, and I enjoy a campfire at a writing retreat.

Q. Do you have any kids?
A. We have a daughter who is grown. She has four children. They live on Mackinac Island between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

My laptop allows me to enjoy my backyard while I work.
[photo by Michael Buck]

Q. Where do you live?
A. We live along the Thornapple River in Grand Rapids, Michigan where I enjoy growing flowers and watching birds.

Q. When you were a teacher, what grades did you teach?
A. My first teaching job was in a sixth grade class. I’ve also had fifth, fourth, and, for most of my career, third grades.

Q. Why did you want to be a writer?
A. I enjoy stories and I like playing with words.

Q. Is the cat in your picture books your cat?
A. No. That’s Clyde, a cat that owned Nancy Winslow Parker, the illustrator.

Q. Do you have any pets?
A. Not right now. We’ve had dogs, fish, turtles, and chameleons. It’s easier to take care of stuffed animals.

Q. What is the favorite book you’ve read?
A. There are many books I really enjoy, but my very most favorite is Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White.

Q. Of your own books, which is your favorite?
A. That’s sort of like asking your grandmother who is her favorite grandchild. I love them all. Usually the one I like best, is the one I’m working on at that time, because I haven’t figured it all out yet.

Q. What’s the most unusual question you’ve been asked?
A. I’ve been asked a lot of interesting questions, but I wonder what prompted one child to ask, “What color is your couch?”