Hi there, friend! 👋

If you’ve been following along with Marie Lane’s adventures, you already know she’s funny, brave, curious, and just a little bit chaotic—in the best way. But today, I wanted to share something a little different. This time, the story isn’t from Marie’s point of view. It’s from mine. ✍️

I’m the author behind The Life of Marie Lane series, and I want to tell you a secret 🤫: Marie started as a tiny voice in the corner of my imagination. One afternoon, I scribbled down a sentence about a girl who wore mismatched socks 🧦 and accidentally joined the school talent show. I didn’t know it yet, but Marie was going to grow into a whole world—and she had a lot more to say.

Marie Lane isn’t perfect. She gets nervous 😬. She sometimes says the wrong thing. She messes up and then tries again. But she always leads with her heart 💖. That’s what made me want to keep writing her stories. Because even if she’s fictional, she feels real. Like someone who could live down the street 🏡. Like someone you’d want as your best friend.

Most of the books start as scribbles in my journal 📓 or thoughts I jot down while walking 🚶‍♀️ or folding laundry. I write in a tiny corner of my house 🪑 with a cluttered desk, a half-drunk cup of tea ☕, and (often) a dog asleep next to me  🐶. I’ve written on airplanes ✈️, in the car 🚗, at the library 📚—and once even on a napkin during lunch 🍽️ because an idea hit me that hard.

The magic of writing Marie Lane isn’t just in the stories. It’s in knowing that readers like you are out there, turning the pages 📖, laughing at her mishaps 😂, and dreaming right along with her 🌈. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or a reader yourself—thank you for being part of her journey.

If you’d like a peek into my writing space, here it is: 📸

And if you ever wonder where the next Marie adventure will come from... it might be from a memory 🧠. A moment ⏳. Or a spark of imagination ✨, scribbled on the back of a grocery list 📝.

Thanks for reading. And thank you for being part of The Life of Marie Lane. 💕

Stay curious, 🔍

Stephanie Tyo

Author of The Life of Marie Lane