She is a graduate of the Clarion West science-fiction writing workshop (1995). Her short story "The Secret in the Chest: With Tests, Maps, Mysteries, & Intermittent Discussion Questions," which plays with the conventions of damsel-in-distress fairy tales,[20] appeared in Realms of Fantasy (October 1998),[21] and earned an Honorable Mention from editor Gardner Dozois in The Year's Best Science Fiction: 16th Annual Collection (1999).