Joan Schmeichel
"I was born during the Great Depression, grew up during World War II and got married during the Korean War. The Times of Laura Grey isn't autobiographical, though there are some similarities to my growing up years and Laura's. I was raised poor in farming country though not rich enough to own a farm, much as Laura's situation. Yes, we had an outhouse and a coal stove. More importantly, both young Laura and I learned something about boys and about friendship, about emenies and about life as others lived it in comparison to how we lived it. In that sense Laura's life and mine intersect. Readers may be interested to know that the first chapter of The Times of Laura Grey was the 1911 fiction winner of the Traverse City Writers' Press where it was titled Kisses for Laura. Finally, I am always interested in hearing from readers and may be contacted via e-mail at Joan@Schmeichel.net."