The year I was in seventh grade, Mr. Fox, moved into the house next door. A junior high English teacher, he brought with him boxes and boxes of books.

As he lent me one book after another, books I might not have chosen on my own, new worlds opened. Mr. Fox also patiently corrected my writing assignments. Early book reports were particularly awful – each sentence began “Then…” – but he persisted and I kept returning for help.

By my senior year, all his red ink must have done some good as my AP English teacher thought I should major in English Literature.

But I didn’t. I headed off to college and majored in Biology. After college, I followed another interest that ended with an M.A. in Anthropology. I missed Biology and so returned to graduate school yet again. Eventually (much time passed) I earned my Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology.

The whole educational process involved much writing – none of it fiction. New degree in hand, I found myself teaching biology to college undergraduates – a new, and sometimes rewarding, challenge.

Through it all, I continued to devour novels.

Yet something was missing. At last, nagged by a friend, I decided to write the kind of story I loved to read. The past year has involved much research, plotting, more research and finally the writing of ‘Wait for Their Return’.

Through this process, my husband has tolerated and supported much odd behavior. Not once did he try to peek at the story. My two little boys have barely noticed anything other than perhaps an increase in the time mommy spent on the computer. The dog has eyed me, recalculating her chances of a walk, and the cat has patiently kept me company curling up nearby. I also discovered Sam and Lani’s podcasts, Will Write for Wine. Their silly, yet informative, weekly sessions and the forums that have grown up around their show have made the writing process less lonely and a whole lot more fun.

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100 Random Things About Me

1. I have curly hair.
2. And I look bad in hats (Hi Kim!)
3. I wear glasses, occasionally contacts (they don’t agree with me).
4. I have a black Labrador retriever.
5. The dog will eat anything.
6. She once ate an entire gingerbread house (she’s okay).
7. I wasn’t sure what I was going tell the vet.
8. I have a cat named Darwin.
9. He sits with me while I write and we watch the chipmunks together.
10. I think chipmunks are really, really cute.
11. I can play the piano.
12. And the flute.
13. My second son was delivered without medication.
14. I didn’t ask for the epidural until it was too late.
15. I’m glad it was too late.
16. I love Indian food.
17. I’ve been married for 11 years.
18. I have two boys.
19. When my husband mentions a minivan, I agree.
20. Provided he drives it.
21. So far, no minivan – lately, he’s used the word: convertible.
22. I like Pierce Brosnan.
23. At our wedding, we were introduced to the James Bond Theme.
24. Macs, not PCs.
25. I hate soda.
26. I’m not overly fond of beer because it’s carbonated.
27. I do like wine – red.
28. I want an iPhone.
29. And the Mac ‘air’.
30. I love to travel.
31. I’ve been to Egypt.
32. And Greece.
33. I sunburn easily.
34. But hate the sun anyway.
35. I used to want to be a marine biologist.
36. But ended up as a cell biologist.
37. Then started teaching anatomy and physiology.
38. I’m moving to CT soon and leaving my job as a college professor.
39. I won’t miss it.
40. I have a sister.
41. She’s due with her first child soon.
42. My favorite cookie is the Oreo.
43. I love Dove milk chocolates.
44. I love ancient history.
45. And am starting to appreciate American History much more.
46. Writing my first novel made me notice a lot of things about my hometown that I’d missed.
47. My youngest son loves trains.
48. And horses.
49. His favorite color is yellow.
50. My oldest son’s favorite color is purple.
51. My husband is going bald.
52. I don’t care.
53. He does, kinda.
54. My grandmother’s first language was Ukrainian.
55. She went to school not knowing what a toothbrush was.
56. She plucked geese to sell their feathers for extra money.
57. At my great grandmother’s house, cats lived under the house and in the barn.
58. Barn cats are really mean, even as kittens.
59. My great uncle was schizophrenic.
60. We were scared of him as kids.
61. My grandfather is 90 and stronger than I am.
62. I grew up without air conditioning.
63. I’m always opening windows if I can.
64. I’m excited that our new house has an attic fan.
65. It’s the kind that sucks the air from the whole house up into the attic.
66. We won’t have to use the air conditioning as much.
67. But I’m glad the house has it for the hot weeks.
68. I was a lifeguard in high school.
69. And played on the volleyball team.
70. I’m 5’9’’.
71. But I still wasn’t very good at volleyball.
72. I was worse at basketball.
73. I performed in a dance group in college.
74. I love Sturbridge Village.
75. I’d rather read than watch TV.
76. My husband would rather watch TV than read.
77. I lived in Savannah, GA for three years.
78. Because my husband was in the U.S. Army.
79. I miss the Spanish moss hanging from the live oak trees.
80. But I don’t want to move back.
81. My great grandmother went to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
82. They lived in Indiana.
83. When we visited, we chased chickens in the chicken run.
84. I got to ride on really large farm machinery.
85. It was a bit scary.
86. I lived in NYC for three years.
87. I went to college in Philadelphia.
88. I went to graduate school in Baltimore.
89. I own ice skates.
90. But haven’t worn them in 10 years.
91. I grew up in rural northern Pennsylvania.
92. I taught myself to crochet.
93. I like to cook.
94. And eat.
95. I like my in-laws.
96. I hate wearing makeup.
97. And bracelets.
98. I’m addicted to all things ‘Will Write for Wine’.
99. I’ve met Lani and Sam.
100. They’re just as much fun in person.