Lori Closter is a wife, mom, grammy, and lifelong writer who is fulfilling her dream of giving people hope and faith through stories. A native New Yorker with degrees from Cornell (BA) and Temple Universities (MA), she served as writer/assistant producer on various projects, including an educational film series for National Geographic. Her short stories have been published in several places and her unpublished collection, Riding the Elephant, was a contest semi-finalist. Topping the Willow has also been multiply recognized both as a YA novel and feature screenplay, including ACFW Genesis semi-finalist and Kairos Prize finalist. Lori and her retired pastor husband now live in coastal North Carolina.