I began writing at the age of four, after my brother taught me to write my name and I carved it all over the back door. After that, I went on to rhyme. I loved the measured beats and the lyrical way the words rolled off my tongue. My parents were a huge influence on my writing. They taught me to appreciate all forms of literature and would make up their own stories to entertain me and my siblings. My mother wrote and published many poems over the course of her life, and was a constant source of encouragement for every kind of artistic expressions we cared to persue. My fourth grade teacher also touched my life in a very special way when she presented me with a copy of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I fell  in love with fantasy at that point.