Elizabeth Lynn Casey

It's not often that someone can provide visual proof of the exact moment their lifelong dream was born. Which means I'm one of the lucky ones... Nestled safely in the top drawer of my filing cabinet is the very first book I ever wrote—a six-page illustrated story entitled, Kidney Learns a Lesson. Looking back, I can't help but think the more accurate title would have been, A Dream Is Born. While Kidney (a sweetly drawn little brown bear) was learning the kind of lesson its ten-year-old creator felt noteworthy, I was falling in love with the process of writing...of creating a world that came to life beneath my pencil. With my path chosen, I began devouring every book I could find—my earliest favorites being penned by the likes of Carolyn Keene, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Mary Higgins Clark... Through them, I learned the joy of reading. Through my devotion to craft, I learned the joy of plotting and creating. And through my readers, I've learned the joy of providing a momentary escape from life—a chance to explore a new place, a new career, a new hobby, a new experience. Because that's what books do. They allow us to dream... And dreaming is something I know all about.