Q: Are the settings in “Loop” real places?

A: Real places gave my imagination a jumping off point, but they all morphed into something just a little different. The skating rink is our local one with a locker room added; the sugar house more like our original than our current. The only identical setting was the section on our property where Laney and Mason search for Levi. We do have a chicken coop, a grove of pines, and, of course, a tree house—all at the bottom of a steep, winding hill.

Q: How did you write a book with six children?

A: That’s an easy one: slowly!

There are things I have discovered work well for me personally. Allowing myself thirty minutes to write before anyone is awake, when both the house and my mind are still quiet, is one of them. This is when creativity comes. I try to close my writing time with a direction already planned for the next—which is a whole lot easier than staring at a blank page.

I keep my current writing project, colored marking pens, journal, and Bible in a favorite bag, ready to go. This way, if I miraculously find myself waiting outside of a music lesson or doctor’s appointment, I can get something accomplished. If I’m too frazzled by everything else that needs to be done to be creative, I still try to do something, whether it’s editing, researching, or jotting down ideas.

Q: Why “Loop”?

A: I love teaching toddlers with special needs - especially those on the autism spectrum. Seeing them smile, discovering the ways in which they perceive the world, and being allowed inside of their own is challenging, but worth any effort it takes. I also have a heart for their siblings and want them to know that they, too, are seen and loved.

Q: What are some of your favorite books?