Dear Readers:

My name is not a household word (yet) so here is a bit of background concerning yours truly. I was born and raised in Minnesota and lived there fifty-three years, traversing growth spurts, education, romance and career adventures. I guess that makes me a bona-fide Viking fan for life. Growing up in small town, middle-western America, I was blissfully unaware of a broader spectrum of cultures, climates, and eccentricities. The weather was chilly, cloudy, and snowy a predominant part of the year but this gloom was overcome by abundant warmth, love, and camaraderie lavished upon me by family, friends, and work colleagues. And I met the love of my life my junior year in high school (Archbishop Murray Memorial High School) and we are still going strong as we approach out fiftieth wedding anniversary. That brings me to the history behind the protagonist and heroine of my novel – my mother-in-law. The plot thickens.