About Me

A school social worker by day and a mama by every other waking moment, I can typically be found laughing with my husband and two young children, drinking room-temperature coffee, and enjoying spontaneous pajama dance parties just outside of Chicago.
I read voraciously, love critiquing, and, of course, write, write, write!
I mostly write heartfelt and humorous picture books and fantasy middle grade.

(Loos rhymes with “close.” As in, you try to say it and I smile and say “close, it’s Loos!” and we both laugh, and now we’re best friends.)

Writing: Credentials & Such

Awards (you can read the more recent entries by clicking below):
- Susanna Leonard Hill’s Halloweensie Contest: Honorable Mention for Great Read for Younger Readers (2020)
- Susanna Leonard Hill’s Valentiny Contest: Honorable Mention (2019)
- Vivian Kirkfield’s 50 Precious Words: Honorable Mention (2019)
- Susanna Leonard Hill’s Holiday Contest: 7th Place (2018)
Member
- Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator
- Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Challenge
- 3 [Amazing] Picture Book Critique Groups
- #MGNarwhals, #MGBees, & #MGLoveandTogetherness (Middle Grade Groups)

Conferences:
- ABLA Big Sur Writing Conference in Cape Cod, 2022
- SCBWI Carolinas Fall Conference, 2021
- SCBWI Oregon BiAnnual Conference 2021
- SCBWI Southern Breeze Critique Fest, 2021
- SCBWI Inland Northwest Agent Day, 2021
- SCBWI Houston Virtual Conference, 2020
- SCBWI Summer Spectacular, 2020
- SCBWI Marvelous Midwest Conference, 2019
Classes:
- Making Picture Book Magic with Susanna Leonard Hill

Participant:
- Storystorm, January 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
- NF Fest (Non-Fiction Fest), February 2021, 2020
- ReFoReMo (Read for Research Month), March2019
- NaPiBoWeWee (National Picture Book Writing Week), May 2019
- ReVISIONweek, September 2019
- #PBChat, ongoing

Interesting Tidbits:
- My young childhood was mostly spent playing dress-up and imagining grand adventures
- Once I could read and write, a large portion of time was devoted to reading and writing about adventures
- I was struck by lightning while at an overnight Girl Scout Camp when I was 8! (I developed ZERO super powers but did have the special privilege of eating an orange in the cafeteria the next morning).
- I have thousands of happy memories on the stage of my local community theater. Pictured below: a starring in the glamorous role of Bilbo Baggins in a stage adaptation of The Hobbit.
- In High School I was voted both “Class Mom” and “Co-Prom Queen” (“co” because it was a tie. I voted for the other girl because “class mom” was really more on brand)
- I studied abroad in Norwich, England for a semester
- I’m allergic to exercise! Really! If I don’t take an antihistamine before cardio and/or adventures, I break out in hives.
- I’ve taken improvisation classes at Second City and Improv Olympics (iO) in Chicago and have had the honor of performing on stages at both.
- I’ve been working since I was 15 and have worked as a server in an assisted living facility, a hostess, a barista, a waitress, a camp counselor (both day and overnight), a resident advisor, front desk work in the U of I’s engineering library, substitute teacher in a Child Development Lab, lead worker in a Crisis Nursery, administrative support in an emergency shelter for women, and as a school social worker!