My Debut Novel – and I’m 72

And never once has a publishing professional asked about my age

There are a few, vanishingly rare, incidents in life when the stars line up in such a way that you begin to doubt the evidence of your own senses.

As in, I’ll wake up soon, because this can’t really be happening.

I call these iceberg moments, when a sparkling spire juts above the water line, dazzling in the sunlight — while below it, unseen, is a mountainous accumulation of effort that has taken more than a decade.

One iceberg moment was last month, when I learned that my debut novel, the first in a middle-grade series published by Disney-Hyperion, GRIFFIN SPEAKER has been chosen as a May/June 2026 Kids’ Indie Next List pick by IndieBound.org

Here’s another:
On August 9, 2023, I was sitting on the porch of a lovely casita-style hotel room perched almost exactly on the equator, gazing at a view of Mt. Kenya. My husband, son, daughter-in-law, and her parents were enjoying sundown cocktails, celebrating the fourth day of our long dreamed-of Kenyan safari — as well as my husband’s and my 20th wedding anniversary.

I’d had to step away, because I’d gotten a call from my literary agent. Between New York and Nanyuki, Kenya, we negotiated the finer points of a two-book deal with Disney’s acquiring editor.

I could say it was a dream come true, except I’d never dreamed such a thing happening in such a setting, at such a time. When the call concluded, I semi-levitated across the lawn to stammer my big news to the group.

Now, nearly three years later and with considerable bulk added to the invisible part of the iceberg, my debut novel Griffin Speaker hit bookstores on May 5. In recent weeks I’ve been swirling in a heady stew of anticipation, rather like the weeks leading to a wedding, a bucket-list trip, or even a birth.

Young Adult

Targeted to readers age 8 to 12 (and above; I want my books to be enjoyable for adults as well as young readers), Griffin Speaker is the story of twelve-year-old Rain. An orphan on the lowest rung of Griffin Land society, her future is laid out for her by law. As soon as she turns thirteen, she’ll spend six days a week, toiling in the underground Tubes to harvest precious Root for the Corporation.

Everything changes when she stumbles across a rare wild griffin. Griff and Rain form a deep connection — one that, according to an ancient law, should entitle Rain to an education at the elite Griffin Riders academy.

But Rain’s rise in rank threatens Griffin Land’s fragile hierarchy, and those at the top will do anything to make sure she fails. To prove herself worthy, Rain must traverse mountains, face bloodthirsty beasts, and unearth long-forgotten truths. She’ll have to decide how much she’s willing to risk — to stay with Griff, to change her life . . . and, just maybe, to create a better world.

With themes of friendship, courage, and social justice, and with plenty of action and unusual creatures, Griffin Speaker is a book for dreamers, animal lovers, and adventurers of all ages.

“Honored” is too weak a word for the blurbs that Griffin Speaker has earned from some of my author heroes, including Shannon Messenger (author of the mammoth Keeper of the Lost Cities series, a fixture in many middle school libraries; Bruce Coville, author of Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher and the beloved Unicorn Chronicles series; Julie Kagawa, NYT best-selling author of the Storm Dragons series; and others).

The three years between negotiating the book deal and seeing it on actual bookstore shelves has been quite a ride — I liken it to slow-motion whiplash, with rounds of increasingly granular edits, plenty of learn-as-you-go experiences, and a few swamps to cross between the mountaintops.

But here’s one thing I initially worried about that has never been a problem, or even a question: my age.

As writers, we hear all the time how the publishing industry is rife with both sexism and ageism. I don’t doubt that both exist in the world of books, because they exist everywhere else. And perhaps there is something particularly inclusive about publishing literature for younger readers — but in working with the Disney team and with their distributor, Penguin Random House, I haven’t encountered a whiff of age-related bias.

Nor has it been an issue with readers and other writers. I was recently invited by my publisher to participate in several events, including an advance book signing, at the annual Texas Library Association Conference. At one point I found reason to (boldly) proclaim my age during a pitch session with another author and school librarians. The verbatim response: “Awesome!”

The enthusiasm and support for this book from my publisher and from advance readers has been incredibly affirming — especially for a neurotic overthinker like myself, exquisitely prone to imposter syndrome. Even I can’t ignore this much evidence that Griffin Speaker has a lot to offer readers.

And what I have to offer you, if you’re a later-blooming author like myself, is this: Don’t let fear of ageism weigh you down. Go out there and soar.