I am a retired university professor and administrator whose work has appeared in a variety of professional and literary journals. I’ve published in several genres, from academic research to personal essays, short fiction (including a romance set in Florence), and a few humorous stories chronicling the adventures of Harley, a charismatic black cat. All of these publications were aimed at adult readers. Harley’s exploits (featuring travels in Italy with his human family) were later expanded into two novellas for middle grade readers—Paws in the Piazza and The Shadow of the Unscratchable. (Paws was also translated into Italian, and sold in bookstores in Italy.)