About the Author Bette Jackman LoBue was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area of Florida?s west coast. She was educated at St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida, where she received a double baccalaureate in education, literature, and creative writing, and a master?s degree in English in arts and letters. She worked as an educator in Pinellas County, Florida, for twenty-two years, teaching middle school English and drama and high school junior and senior American and British literature and creative and reportorial writing. She is a former editor for the Florida Clubwoman, a publication of the Florida Federation of Women?s Clubs, and has written various articles for newsletters, newspapers, and magazines. Her hobbies include music, art, and languages. Ms. LoBue divides her time between the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and the sunny shores of the St. Petersburg gulf beaches.