I'm a writer, and my first book, Stirring Up Trouble, will be out in 2008 from Puffin.
Here's a taste of Trouble:
With fate interfering so cruelly, can you really blame me for putting my magic potions to not-so-good use and stirring up trouble?
I’m Zoe Miller, a thirteen-year-old witch with only one power—a talent for potions. And my hands are tied there because Zeus punishes us for any self-serving potion by destroying our appearance—warts, chin hairs, green skin, the works. The whole ugly witch stereotype. I have my life all mapped out. I plan to be a doctor and develop drugs to cure disease. We already have potions to help all kinds of symptoms, but none of them will get by the Food and Drug Administration. I mean, the government bureaucrats are not going to okay the ingestion of bat wings or unicorn horns. Luckily, fat-free margarine has already been found to be an adequate substitute for dead man’s toe. So, I really hold out hope that I can make things work. Looking for edible substitutions to use in the potions is my passion.