Tarja was born in Finland and raised on three continents. She has lived in Finland, Australia, Canada and the USA. Her rich heritage and love for children have developed her passion of writing stories.
 

Within Tarja's childhood home, old family stories were shared, celebrated, and retold countless times. She believes oral storytelling is an important part of a child's early learning and reading. Children's picture books, when shared and read out loud, rekindle the magical moments and experiences of ancient storytelling.

Her spouse, several adult children, amazing in-laws, many grandkids, and a large group of extended family and friends, inspire Tarja on her author journey. They are truly a part of her story, bringing purpose and life to her tales. She writes of real-life situations with imagination, humor, and delightful surprise. Tarja brings social and emotional learning into her books as subtle lessons of fun and silliness.

Tarja loves anything cinnamon and everything caramel. She enjoys writing,  baking and creating. She is energized when hanging out with people, singing, and taking long walks. Her most favorite walk was the Camino de Santiago (The Way of the Stars), a 500 mile ancient pilgrim route across northern Spain.  

Tarja lives in the Pacific Inland Northwest, USA, with her husband and tiny dog, Miss Moo.