I am a writer. A sculptor of words. I take inspirations and whispers of ideas that lie someplace inside my heart, like clay that is unformed and still wet, and I excavate them with bare fingers and mold them into living characters and the happenings of other worlds.In writing stories, I’m always surprised and delighted to discover how real the characters become; that for many writers their characters end up as their most treasured friends. I love to delve deeply into my characters to mine their natures, secrets, and desires—to tell their stories with the legitimacy they deserve. In studying my characters, I find that I have the opportunity to shape myself, inching closer to the person I want to become.I hope my readers feel enchanted when they read my story, that they feel as if they’re drifting out from under a spell when they complete it. This is exactly how I feel when I finish writing a story. I hope to expand their minds, spirits, and worlds a bit, and I hope they fall in love with my characters and are moved by the artistry of language.