GENE TAYLOR was born about fifty miles south of Dallas in Corsicana, Texas, and he actually got to see what the city looked like twenty-six years later when he visited it briefly for the first time. He grew up in a different part of the state and thus knew very little about his birthplace. He had heard that there was a bakery there that sold wonderful fruitcakes online for Christmas presents, however! He graduated from a large university in Texas with a double major in English and history, a few years later earning a master’s degree at the same school. Since then he has lived in California, Arizona, Illinois, and Texas while teaching in high schools and selling antiques and collectibles in various shops. Currently, he has a booth in an antiques mall called As Time Goes By, but he usually spends his time writing novels and short stories. In addition, he often allots some time to playing records on his restored 1947 Rock-Ola jukebox and on his 1961 Wurlitzer 2500 jukebox! A few years ago, he was greatly surprised to learn on a genealogy website that he is a direct descendant of Geoffrey Chaucer (his nineteenth great grandfather on his father’s side). He wishes he had known that when he was teaching The Canterbury Tales in British literature classes. At the moment he is single, but he never gives up hope of finding someone to share his interests in reading, writing, antiquing, and playing slot machines and roulette in Las Vegas! You can write to him at genetaylor957@yahoo.com.