Although I grew up in the Midwest of the United States, I have lived in six countries on four continents. I have sipped cream tea in Oxfordshire, eaten stewed goat at a Mozambican wedding, slid down rocks in a Mato Grosso river and shopped at Mall of America. My books for children and young people come out of my cross-cultural experiences and my passion to use story to convey spiritual truths in a form that will permeate the lives of children and young people. I recently returned to the Northwoods of Wisconsin after three years in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I focused on writing for children affected by HIV/AIDS, teaching writing workshops and reading stories in after-school programs in Tembisa Township.