A love for writing

I've always expressed my creativity through interior, textile, color, and graphic design. However, when my family faced challenges beyond my comprehension, I needed to process things in black and white. I needed to write. Putting pen to paper allowed me to cope with all that was happening in my world, and it provided a safe place to question my faith and insulate my family from my deepest fears. My relationship with the written page calmed me, grew my spirit, and quickly became a powerful tool in my healing. Now, quite simply, I'm hooked.

kja-straight

The Chicken Who Saved Us

The Remarkable Story of Andrew and Frightful

front cover

The award-winning, laugh-out-loud, reach-for-the-tissues story of an autistic boy's desperate struggle to survive a deadly illness and the backyard chicken who transforms his life into a tale of improbable hope and miraculous healing.

The day Andrew pulled a peeping fluffball from a bin of chicks, I knew something extraordinary had happened.

About me

family

My story didn't go as planned.

At 23, I took my BFA degree and marched into life with my high school sweetheart to have a family full of love and laughter. But life started throwing curve balls and didn't let up.

This cute picture of my two adorable children and me belies the pain we all endured. But what will always be true—and still is true—is that we never gave up.

About me

family

My story didn't go as planned.

At 23, I took my BFA degree and marched into life with my high school sweetheart to have a family full of love and laughter. But life started throwing curve balls and didn't let up.

This cute picture of my two adorable children and me belies the pain we all endured. But what will always be true—and still is true—is that we never gave up.