My first name is Erika. Not Erica. Not Ericka. My last name is Hammerschmidt, which has thirteen letters, including five consonants in a row. People still find it easier to spell than my first name. In college I majored in German and Spanish. I also accidentally minored in art, just by taking so many art classes for the fun of it. I grow my own vegetables and sew my own clothes. I am obsessed with pet birds and reptiles. I make jewelry that looks like a Renaissance Fair gone wild. I'm an author, artist and speaker who moved from Minnesota to Pennsylvania, and then to Los Angeles. Going by temperature, I'm on the road to hell. I work in a pharmacy as well as giving speeches on autism and writing books.