My first book! In 1980, I met and married my husband, Gary, and our daughter, Natasha, was born. Throughout Natasha's childhood, I'd tell her little, short bedtime stories, inventing funny characters dealing with dilemmas, like a hippo who couldn't swim or a giraffe who lost his spots, anything that would come to mind. Some years went by, Natasha grew up and had a child of her own named Zoya. I restarted telling Zoya the stories, triggering heart-felt laughter and asking for more. When Zoya began to come up with new characters and scenarios on her own, I knew my stories had an impact on someone's life. Besides, I now had the benefit of life's experiences to reflect on. Born in Paris, France, I remember Chelles, a quaint suburban village in the eastern part of Paris, where I was raised watching squirrels snacking on the yellow cherries that had fallen from the tree that I was sure reached the sky and the chickens clucking loudly in the yard. Huge seals and walruses wallowing on the black-colored reefs of Seal Rock in San Francisco, California. Working on the Trans Alaska Pipeline, my experiences were numerous but seeing Polar Bears rummage through the trash stands out the most. I remember thinking I wonder if my parents had ever witnessed seeing these majestic animals during their life in Russia. More memories ensued from living in Anchorage, Alaska, watching in wonder a mother moose leading her babies across city streets as if that was normal. The magical dancing lights of the Aurora Borealis (commonly known as the Northern Lights) sparked colorful visions for impending stories. After moving to Virginia in 1987, lasting memories continued of my family and I enjoying the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic where my granddaughter would be in a serious quest for seashells and beach crabs burrowed in the sand on the rocky beaches of the Outer Banks while cautiously avoiding the jellyfish sporadically lying about. I had accumulated a lot of memories for my stories finally realizing that I should share some of my imagination with others. This author is cautiously optimistic that my books will be enjoyed by many of all ages and receive the same reaction as I've been blessed with from family and friends throughout many years, past and present.
