Kathryn J Hardy graduated from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia in 1977 with a B.F.A. in art education. Soon afterwards, she followed her love for fashion, finding notoriety as a fashion designer during the late 70’s and early 80’s. Her beautiful, unique designs were introduced and celebrated at the finale of the grand opening of the Atlanta Apparel Mart kick starting her career. It wasn’t long thereafter, her designs were showcased in Palm Beach, Florida at Bonwit Teller and D. Kylene Boutique on Worth Avenue. There, her reputation grew as she began to design Couture for private clients as well as being honored with a fashion show at the Breakers Hotel as the youngest designer to be recognized on Worth Avenue at the time. On many occasions, her designs were featured in New York’s Women’s Wear Daily and in Glamour Magazine. In 1984 Kathryn was nominated for the Dupont Designer Award at the Lincoln Center in New York City. After turning down an offer to work in New York, Kathryn met and fell in love with her husband, and successful businessman, Ronald Hardy, and moved to the Panhandle of Florida.

Kathryn retired from her design business but continued her entrepreneurial spirit by developing a perfume line under the name, Vivian E. Inc., labeled, Tursiops Eau de Parfum. Her perfume line took off and was at one time distributed not only in resorts across the USA but also in Japan, Mexico and throughout the Caribbean Islands.

Upon the sale of her husband’s businesses, Kathryn sold her business. They began traveling the world together experiencing life through the eyes of many different people and cultures. Throughout the years, Kathryn began writing as an outlet for her continuous need to create. She successfully wrote several papers for the Emerald Coast Philosophical Group and published her first travel book, Twelve Days in Botswana Through the Eyes of a Traveler.

After ten years of research and hundreds of hours of recorded interviews, Kathryn found inspiration and motivation to write Johnny and Jazzbo. Dr. Johnny Savage and Otis Ikner’s story of adventure, trials, and tribulations during the 60’s and 70’s while following the road to being poor no more, is a powerful story of friendship, compassion, and determination under the most difficult circumstances. This historical and adventurous true story told through the eyes of these two young southern men, one black, one white, will keep you in suspense all the way to the end.

Johnny and Jazzbo has been well received across the United States and is now being considered by a Hollywood producer at this time.

      “If you liked The Help, The Butler and The Green Book,

you will love Johnny and Jazzbo. It is all three on steroids and more!”