I’m a mom, storyteller, and children’s book author who believes in bedtime magic and adventures made at home.
The idea for Optimus was sparked by the heartfelt wishes of my own children, who begged for a story about the curious TESLA robot. When we couldn’t find one, I started inventing nightly tales—stories where Optimus learns all about humans through the eyes of a family just like ours.
One quiet evening, I picked up a paintbrush and some watercolors and began bringing those stories to life. My kids watched in awe as Optimus—the character who started it all—took shape on the page. Half-joking, I told my best friend, “If only I had a Cintiq (a digital drawing tablet), I could turn this into a real book.” That very day, as if by magic, I found a broken one listed for free on Craigslist. It felt like fate. A few repairs later, I was digitally illustrating our story, with my kids cheering me on every step of the way.
This book is more than just a bedtime story—it’s a piece of our hearts, created with laughter, love, and a whole lot of imagination. From our family to yours, we hope it brings smiles, wonder, and cozy moments before lights out.
I studied art, graphic design, creative writing, and journalism at the University of Cincinnati and Washtenaw Community College in Michigan. During college, I served as editor of the school newspaper and regularly contributed comics and illustrations. In 2004, I worked in PR at the University of South Florida, where I learned to write press releases, work with media, and manage university communications. My colleagues affectionately called me “The Glue” because I held everything together.
In 2005, I launched a jewelry and historical fashion collection that unexpectedly took off—featured in InStyle, Vogue, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and even worn on the red carpet at the Oscars. I collaborated with 20th Century Fox and RMS Titanic, Inc. to recreate historic and film-inspired pieces. Growing up in antique stores (thanks to my parents’ restoration business), I developed a deep love for vintage craftsmanship. I used original molds dating from the 1820s to the 1940s to create my designs. When I wanted to expand into dresses and shoes, I studied antique fashion plates and historical costume books, teaching myself pattern drafting, grading, draping, and later, CAD drafting.
In 2011, I sold the company to focus on starting a family and writing.
My daughter was born in 2012, followed by my son in 2013. In 2015, everything changed. My son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of two. A few months later, both of my children were diagnosed with autism. That June, my marriage ended. During court proceedings, we were evaluated by a psychologist—and I, too, received an autism diagnosis. She was fascinated by my memory, attention to detail, and creative abilities.
During that evaluation, the psychologist read one of my short stories and told me I had the potential to become a best-selling author. She advised me to wait until my youngest turned twelve and spend the intervening years honing my craft.
Life became incredibly challenging, but I kept moving forward. In 2016, after my divorce was finalized, I relocated with my children to North Carolina, where we still live today.
This website and these children’s books are the result of 12 years of storytelling. We didn’t have much, but we had love, creativity, and the ability to turn even the simplest moments into magic. Working outside the home was nearly impossible due to my children’s needs. Instead, I chose to be present—and that choice changed everything. My children are thriving: intelligent, kind, and wonderfully unique. I spent ten years single—not because I couldn’t date, but because they needed me more. Honestly, in the little time I had to myself, I either slept or outlined stories.
Twelve years ago, on July 15, my son was born. This year, on July 15, I’ll ship my first children’s book under my own publishing company, The Flufflefluff Press which is the children’s book division of J.L. Clark Publishing. I also write romantic fiction and thrillers under the name Gillian Roth, with 28 novels written and over 200 storylines outlined. These books will be released exclusively on X through portals on my profile to the story site.
Although I rarely collaborate, I recently helped my friend Cus Fragoso with his upcoming book, The Source, set to release in June 2025–watch for updates for his book, coming soon.
So here we are—twelve years in the making.
It’s officially Go Time.
Please enjoy these stories. I wrote them for you.
With love,
