About Cindy

I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 1989 at 6 months old.

As a kid, a love of reading kept me occupied during my hours of daily breathing treatments. In middle school, I decided I wanted to learn to write stories like the ones I loved, and in high school, I set my sights on becoming a professional author someday.

My first book, Where the Watermelons Grow, was published with HarperCollins Children's Books in 2018. In February 2023, my fourth book, No Matter the Distance, was published with HarperCollins and became the first traditionally-published novel about cystic fibrosis to actually be written by an author with CF. My books have received starred reviews, been named to several state reading lists, and won many awards, including a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard for No Matter the Distance and Oregon Spirit Book Award Honors for Where the Watermelons Grow and Beginners Welcome. I've also published poetry and personal essays.

In addition to my writing work, I've taught writing classes and workshops at schools and writing conferences. I spent many years as a book coach mentoring aspiring writers through the Pitch Wars program and We Need Diverse Books, and authors I mentored have gone on to sign with agents, get publishing deals with major publishers, and win prestigious awards.

I owe my writing career to the generous support and mentorship of many other writers. The Salty Pen is my way to pay forward all the help I've received. Through The Salty Pen, I hope to help create a vibrant, thriving community that will help a new generation of writers with cystic fibrosis tell their stories.