By way of biography, may I tell you a bit about the author, Stephen Stensrud Upton? Steve's degree from the University of Minnesota is in journalism. After graduation he worked in the advertising industry for over fifteen years as a creative director and award-winning copywriter before changing careers and starting a business in the less creative fields of insurance and real estate. Now that he is retired and he can again devote his time to artistic pursuits, Steve writes poetry, creates expressive photographs and has recently completed a draft of his first children's book, A One Room School. You can see a sample of his work at: http: //www.steveupton.com/ Steve and his wife Pam and their three Bichon Frise's moved from the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota to live in sun-filled Sarasota, Florida. Pam, a national accounts manager in the pet industry, travels both nationally and internationally for her work, which leaves Steve plenty of time to spend on his inventive enterprises. Steve, like the character Roy Dickerson in this novel, benefits from the many strange and often surprising effects of 'the gift of dyslexia, ' giving more credibility to the old adage that you should only write about that which you know. Why "Stensrud?" Steve shares his middle name with his deceased mother. It was her maiden name. It is a living tribute to her memory, as is this work of fiction.