After earning Bachelor and Master degrees, Mary Ann Noe taught 7th grade, followed by high school English and Psychology. Retired, she now spends time gardening, reading, writing, and communing with nature. Eons ago, at age nine, her first short story was one of those prize-winning gems, starting, "The midnight clock struck in the village. Bong! Bong! B--" Then she gave up! Eventually, however, she learned that slashing the bad stuff, and rewriting, doesn't leave scars. Since then, Mary Ann continues to publish short stories, poetry, non-fiction, photography, and the novels To Know Her (2021) and A Handful of Pearls (2022). Visit www.maryannnoe.com for her blog, photos, a contact link, and more.