Growing up, I think it's fair to say my family moved around a bit. I went to 11 different schools from K-12. That's a bit. Ha! The most significant move was at 12 when my family moved from SoCal to Texas. Norco -> Grand Prairie = Culture shock.

Norco is a small (mostly) unknown town that in the 80’s was sort of country. No sidewalks. Horses. Some neighbors even had pigs. Still, it was distinctly Californian with kids building skateboarding ramps and wearing Vans sneakers. And our vocabulary relied heavily on the words: totally, bogus, wicked, rad—and like (way too much).

In Texas, classmates told me I talked funny. They'd ask me to explain what I had said after I spoke. And I was corrected with a Southern quickness when I referred to girls as “Hey, guys”. Yes, Texas felt foreign to me. It was as if I had moved to a faraway land, not just cross-country. And, no doubt, my new Texas friends felt like an alien had landed amongst them. Ha! And thus, the 2nd inspiration for Andromeda: the life event known as the TX move.

Andromeda’s journey is about being the new kid in town, friendship, kindness, and being your authentic self. Andromeda and her friends are each unique, but always true to themselves—and kind to others. Good friends and kind souls. I wrote Andromeda to encourage kids: be true to yourself and be kind. But not only for our kids—for our shared humanity.