I was born in Austria, and for the first 10 years of my life, I did not know there were people who spoke languages other than German. I quickly learned how important it is to speak English and studied it with enthusiasm. This later helped somewhat in communicating with my American husband. My beloved adventurer took me to live in Bogota, South America, and then in Tokyo, Japan. From there we went to live in London and finally in Geneva, Switzerland. Since we both retired, we have visited over 100 countries together. More than that, I have delved deeply into cultures that seem very foreign to us. I have discovered that whether you wear fur all year or nothing but a bamboo skirt, the values we live by are the same all over the world. I had the chance to be an active Scout Leader for 12 years, which taught me to believe in the resilience and ingenuity of young people and filled me with hope for the future. Then I had the privilege to teach languages in an international setting for 16 years. I've learned to communicate in 6 languages, and am always ready to chat with anyone, anywhere. Now I write books for Middle-Grade readers and hope the colorful reality of our shared planet is as riveting as tales of witches and zombies. In fact, I have learned that nothing is as interesting and intriguing as the truth...since that is what touches all of us. And to the extent we can walk in somebody else's shoes (or flip-flops) we can develop empathy and understanding.