I didn’t set out to write a book. I set out to find the silly, the tender, and the true.
I didn’t set out to write a book. I set out to find the silly, the tender, and the true.
I have a story to tell.
I've been dreaming about this since eighth grade.
That's when I wrote my very first picture book, sitting in a classroom somewhere, probably daydreaming when I should have been paying attention.
Because my parents worked full-time, I spent my childhood tucked under the wings of my grandparents. It was my grandpa who read that first story and saw a gift I hadn’t yet.
He told me it was good—really good—and that I should pursue it.
I didn't know then that I was practicing for something real. I just knew that picture books made me feel things deeply, and I wanted to give that to others.
That calling stayed with me, even as life took me in other directions.
A hairdresser by trade, a boy mom by the grace of God, and a children's book author by purpose and a whole lot of faith.
Life in Northern Kentucky.
I live in Hebron, Kentucky with my husband and our two boys, Donovan and Shea, the funniest, most energetic and wonder-filled people I know.
Most days look a lot like tennis shoes by the door, grocery runs that take longer than planned, bedtime questions asked long after lights out, and somebody yelling “Mom, watch this!” from the other room.
And somewhere in the middle of all that ordinary life, God keeps showing up.
That’s where the stories begin.
My greatest loves in life are the Lord Jesus, the three silly guys I share a home with, and the ordinary moments that become the ones we remember.
A question asked at bedtime. Tennis shoes by the door. A grocery run that turns into an adventure. Coffee still warm for once.
Faith isn't something I add to my stories. It's something that runs through them the way a river runs through a landscape, quietly, constantly, shaping everything it touches. Because childhood is sacred. And somehow, between the muddy footprints, the laughter from the other room, and the stories children ask to hear again and again, God keeps showing up.
And through all of it, God keeps showing up.
Children are in a world full of scary news, anxious situations and adults telling them how to feel. They need picture books that encourage laughter and feel good to open.
-Krista
The Writing Journey.
I’ve been writing and revising and refining for a long time. I believe in doing the work. In listening to people skilled in the craft. In trusting the process even when it’s slow.
I was a slow reader as a child. Still am, honestly. For a long time I thought that was something to outgrow. Now I think it was preparation. Slow readers linger. They live inside a story longer. They notice things. And I grew up loving Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein so much that I painted their characters across my boys’ nursery walls. That probably tells you almost everything you need to know about me.
I’ve sharpened my craft as part of the Word Weavers International community of writers who take their words seriously and hold each other accountable to the story. I am also a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). And because a love for reading starts early, I volunteer as a coach through One to One, a Northern Kentucky program that works with young readers who need a little extra encouragement.
My debut picture books are currently on their way to major publishers. And I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Stories are adventures, doors, and breakthroughs all in one. Here’s what I hope children discover in my stories.
-
Because somewhere between page three and the silly sound effect your kid makes reading out loud, something shifts. The world gets a little lighter. That’s what a good story does. It finds the giggle hiding in an ordinary Tuesday.
-
Some kids carry things they don’t have words for yet. And then a story comes along and says it for them. Suddenly the thing they’ve been holding quietly has a name. And it doesn’t feel quite so heavy anymore.
-
Every story I write is pointed at something. A carriage horse who stumbles into his own miracle. A boy who learns that lovely thoughts are stronger than scary ones. Different stories. Same north star. Because the truth has a way of finding us right where we are.
What I Write About.
I write two kinds of stories. Somehow, they both sound exactly like me.
Wit & Wonder books are the ones where a bored carriage horse catches a whiff of something sweet and follows it across a river and straight into the Derby. Where a soft-spoken boy drinks a magical juice and soon learns that being quiet has its perks. They have silly characters like Lou the capybara and Irwin the pirate that will make kids belly laugh. These books are for those who want a safe spot to have fun.
Faith & Heart books go somewhere a bit deeper and point to someone much bigger. A story about a boy named Elliot who can’t sleep because his mind is full of Things. And how replacing negative thoughts with Biblical principles, like what is lovely, true, and good, helps him get sleep. These books focus on God’s immense love for us, written for the littlest readers.
Both kinds ask the same question: what if a story could make you laugh out loud and leave something behind that lasts?
