Kris majored in Graphic Design at the University of Illinois and began her visual communication career in Chicago, then worked in multiple cities throughout the U.S. courtesy of her husband Mike’s military and engineering management teaching careers. Bouncing coast to coast, they raised three sons, each with a unique sense of humor. Two incredible daughters-in-law, three energetic grandsons, and a rambunctious granddaughter have joined the posse. After living eight glorious years in Colorado, move seventeen took them to Iowa for eight years, move eighteen to Kansas, and move nineteen back to Colorado, where they live on the side of a mountain with a herd of cats and dogs.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, Kris wrote her first children’s book, I love you I love you I love you I do. If you were a sock… then I’d be your shoe, while going through treatment and watching the devastation of 9.11.2001. Through words and images, she conveys her desire to grow roots and give wings to children. Her picture books are colorful, interactive, and best shared out loud to encourage a lifelong love of reading. Diagnosed with a benign brain tumor in 2022 and another tiny breast cancer in 2026, she advocates early detection, aggressive treatments, and thriving happily ever after.