Joan (that's me) is the author of eight books, ages ranging from middle school to young adult. (Mature adults can read them too.) I began writing years ago but I set it aside to work at the University of Michigan. I started as a temporary employee on a reading research project where I wrote fiction and non-fiction for workbooks for grade levels 3-4, 5-6, 7-8. Later on I worked as a development officer in Annual Giving. Before the University, I did some freelance work writing copy for brochures, ads, etc. My degree was in sociology with an internship in psychiatric social work, neither of which I put to use.

Upon retirement I went back to writing. I confess I kept a letter from years ago because of this quotation: "Your writing style has an unstated simplicity which I find absolutely haunting." That was from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in response to a sparsely written manuscript I sent them. (Now you couldn't do that without an agent.) Unfortunately, what Knopf liked was never finished until recently. Now it's The Times of Laura Grey. As for my writing, I am committed to continuing the style of "unstated simplicity."

My husband Neill and I are both retired and living in Kewadin, Michigan. We have sixteen grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. I spend a lot of time, in addition to writing, playing golf and working on Kakura puzzles.