Perla Sarabia Johnson

Perla Sarabia Johnson was born in Miami Beach in 1962 after her parents fled Fidel Castro's communist Cuba. Perla is bilingual, being fluent in Spanish, and she is proud of her Cuban heritage, which allows her to write with a unique perspective. As a young child, she also lived in Orlando, Puerto Rico, and Norman, Oklahoma. In 1966, her family moved to San Antonio when Perla was in preschool and lived there throughout the rest of her childhood. Perla's interest in literature and composition began when she attended an all-girls' college preparatory school, St. Mary's Hall, from sixth through twelfth grade. The private school excelled in its liberal arts studies. Perla's love of writing made her decide to study broadcast journalism at the University of Texas at Austin where she graduated a semester early in December of 1983. In the summer of 1982, she had the opportunity to study abroad at Oxford University in Oxford, England where her classes included 20th Century British Politics and 20th Century British Literature. After graduating from college, Perla's first job was as a travel/leisure writer for the former San Antonio Light newspaper. A few months later, Perla was offered her first television position, and she began working for San Antonio's Public Broadcasting Station, KLRN-TV, as a production assistant. Her jobs in the media also include working in radio. After many years of writing for the media in news and promotion positions, she made a career change in 2002 and began substitute teaching in order to spend more time with her family. Perla's favorite vacation spot is anywhere near the ocean where the water's warm. She also enjoys swimming, biking, and aerobics. Perla lives in North Texas with her husband and two children. Global Warning, her science fiction story, is her first book.