F.A.Q.

Below, you’ll find some frequently asked questions. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, please feel free to get in touch with me through the contact tab.

How do you pronounce your last name?
It’s easy—just think of Marco Polo, only say Santo instead of Marco. Then you’ve got it.
Where do you live?
My family and I split our time between Washington, DC and New York.
My book club is looking for the book club questions for The Light We Lost and/or More Than Words. Where can I find them?
Thank you so much for choosing to read one of my books in your book club. You can find the questions for The Light We Lost here, and the questions for More Than Words should be posted  here soon. There are also suggested playlists to listen to at your meetings on Spotify.
Is the movie for The Light We Lost still happening?
So far we have a producer, a director, and a script. I’m crossing my fingers that the rest of the pieces will fall into place.
Do you do school visits?
As much as I love visiting schools and talking to kids about writing and storytelling, I unfortunately have had to take a school visit hiatus while I work on and promote my books for adults. But if you need suggestions as to where you can find great writers who love visiting schools, too, I recommend checking out the Author Appearance Roster for ideas.
How old should kids be when they read your children's books?
The Alec Flint Mysteries and the Sparkle Spa series are both geared toward kids ages 6-11. Some kids will be able to read them independently, but other kids might prefer them to be read aloud, depending on their reading ability.  The Follow Your Heart books are for kids 12 and older. (Some grown-ups might like those too.)
Will there be more Alec books?
Well, so far we’ve got The Nina, The Pinta and The Vanishing Treasure and The Ransom Note Blues. I’m not sure what’s going to happen next to Alec, Gina, Allegra and the crew, but I’ll post here when I know more.
What's the butter poem Allegra asks Alec about?
It’s a poem by Karla Kuskin that goes:

Butter
butter
butter
butter
that’s a word
I love to utter.

You can find that poem (and a whole bunch of other ones by Karla Kuskin) in a collection called Moon, Have You Met My Mother?.

Are there going to be more Sparkle Spa books?
The Sparkle Spa series is now complete at ten books! There’s also a Sparkle Spa musical, based on Sparkle Spa #7: Bling It On! 
What is the order of the Sparkle Spa books?
The books can really be read in any order, but the order in which I wrote them is: All That Glitters, Purple Nails and Puppy Tails, Makeover Magic, True Colors, Bad News Nails, Picture-Perfect Mess, Bling It On!, Wedding Bell Blues, Fashion Disaster, Grand Opening!.
Will there be any other Follow Your Heart books?
So far there are two, Summer Love, set in a beach town, and Love on the Lifts, set on a ski mountain. As of now, the plan is to stick with two, but if that changes, I’ll post more information here.
I'm a grown-up and a writer and I'd like to submit my book to you so that you can consider it for publication at Penguin. Can I do that through this site?
Thank you so much for your interest in working with me. I created this site so that I’d have a place to talk about the books I’ve written and be in touch with any readers or educators who want to say hello. If you’d like to submit your writing for possible publication at Penguin, please do not send me a message through this site. Instead, please submit to me through an agent, or come to see me next time I speak at an SCBWI conference.