Linda holds a master’s degree in developmental psychology from Vanderbilt University and a master’s in clinical social work from University of South Florida. Her past work experiences include research investigating how the sense of smell facilitates mother-infant bonding, clinical work with people newly infected with HIV, and psychoeducational support for adults and children living with mental illness.
Ultimately, her career training prepared her to be curious about why we do the things we do. This has come in handy as a mother and a writer. She is passionate about the need for accessible and accurate information about mental health, especially in children’s books. Food Fight was inspired by a young relative’s experience living with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a little-known eating disorder often characterized as “extreme picky eating.” Much of her research on the topic has focused on the impact of picky eating on families.
Linda is a member of SCBWI and active in the Chicago writing community. When she’s not writing, she enjoys buying more books than she can possibly read, maintaining her Little Free Library, and traveling with her husband and daughters.
Food Fight is her first novel.
