About Me

Me in a Box: The Basics

Writing

I’ve been writing professionally since 1996, with credits that include TV, DVDs, internet shows, and books.

Family

I feel ridiculously lucky to have spent the last 13 years married to the love of my life. We have two incredible kids: one human, one canine.

Hobbies

I have a sick penchant for running marathons. I’ve done about 15 of them since 2000, and at the moment I’m training to do and N.Y. in November 2011, plus the Las Vegas Half Marathon, which I can’t resist because it zips down the Strip at night. I’ve also become obsessed with stand-up paddleboating, though I’ve only done it twice.

Best Job Perk

While researching my marathoner’s travel guide, Fodor’s The Traveling Marathoner, I got to travel the country, eating in incredibly decadent restaurants, staying in swanky hotels, and doing everything from taking cooking classes in New Orleans to swimming with dolphins and taking surfing lessons from firefighters in Honolulu to traipsing all over Disney World… all for free. Travel writing kinda rocks.

Most Recent Career Highlight

In June 2011, I (along with two of my fellow writers and friends, Craig Bartlett and Joe Purdy) was nominated for an EMMY AWARD for my work on the PBS show Dinosaur Train.  That was cool and all, but even better was hanging out with Oscar the Grouch at the ceremony!!!!  (Oh yeah, I think Caroll Spinney was there too.)

Wanna See Some of My Work?

Well, I can think of one way… you could read Populazzi!  It’s my debut solo YA novel, it came out in August 2011, and it has already been optioned for a movie!  Hooray!

And as long as you’re checking out books, why not click on over to the first two books in the Elixir series, which I co-wrote with the wonderful and talented Hilary Duff.  Both Elixir and Devoted are now out and available wherever books are sold, with Elixir now in paperback.

If you’d rather not leave your computer, check out my Muppet Internet shows, The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora, and Hasty Tasty Cooking Tips with Cat Cora and the Muppets.  As you might have guessed from my Oscar the Grouch fixation, I’m a HUGE Muppet freak, so writing for them was insane.  Look — I even got to hang out with Fozzie Bear!

On television, cruise to PBS Kids to see my work in episodes of Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid.  I‘ve also added a couple new titles to my long list of Barbie DVDs: Barbie: Princess Charm School and the upcoming Barbie: A Perfect Christmas.

Of course, for something really immediate, you can always follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook.  I’d love to chat with you there!