About Me
Here I am at age three.
The Collective Book Studio published my first picture book, THE SEA HIDES A SEAHORSE, on April 9, 2024!
I am a former professional librarian, a freelance writer, frequent visitor to classrooms, well-received book-talker. and a popular workshop leader at the Oregon Writing Festival. I've published 40 feature articles and creative pieces in regional (e.g., Oregon Humanities) and national publications (e.g., American Libraries, School Library Journal). My last name is pronounced BEARman.
Until January 2024, when I was not writing children’s stories, I was writing grant proposals for clients who are doing wonderful things in our world. I live in Portland, Oregon with my special sweetie, F.X.
10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ME
1. I snort like a pig when I laugh too hard.
2. I discovered the Hudson River when I was four years old.
3. I rarely eat all of my green vegetables, and I won’t eat okra because I think it tastes like boogers.
4. I was born the day after Christmas and refuse to open any birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper.
5. I started writing stories in the third grade and haven’t stopped since.
6. My favorite color is yellow because it reminds me of the sun.
7. I love to travel, speak several languages, and have visited forty (and counting!) countries so far.
8. I have one daughter, Sandy; a son-in-law, Marc; and some grand-kitties.
9. When I was a kid, my favorite author was E.B. White and my favorite book was Stuart Little.
10. I collect finger puppets, and I have about fifty on display in my office. There’s a flamingo, unicorn, seahorse, a pelican, a giraffe, several squirrels, a spider, and even a worm in an apple. Sometimes I play with my finger puppets when I’m trying to work out what a character would say.