A wife and mother, Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt is a poetry and prose writer residing in Western Prince William County, VA, where she enjoys exploring history, art, culture and nature. An advocate for preservation, conservation, education and civic engagement, Katherine volunteers for several non-profit organizations. She is a freelance, community writer for the regional News & Messenger newspaper, teaches college English composition online and teaches English as a Second Language (ESOL) students at an adult detention center.Katherine's poetry and prose have appeared in various online and text journals. Her first book, Poems from the Battlefield, a collection of her Civil War themed poetry, original and archival photos and period quotes, was published in 2009. Katherine's children's book, Furbily-Furld Takes on the World, was published in 2010. Approaching Felonias Park, a novel focusing on predatory lending, was released in November, 2011.More reviews of Approaching Felonias Park "Katherine's fictional portrayal of the real predator high-interest loan system that exists is an important read. It should raise awareness of this continuing problem but Approaching Felonias Park also shows Katherine's writing talent that should not be missed!" -C.J. Tovarich, Author, Editor♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠"Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt is passionate about helping the less fortunate. Not only is she a gifted poet through her Poems from the Battlefield, but now she has proven herself capable of assembing a cast of gritty, memorable characters to effectively expose a little known trap in our society that ensures generationaly poverty. This short novel is a quick read but the inequity it exposes will stay with you." -Nancy S. Kyme, Author, Memory Lake♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠"...is sprinkled with humor without trivializing the serious themes addressed. Jezabel is a real person with real problems...it is unusual for a novel to be written from the point of view of a young woman who's living on the edge, emotionally and financially." -Bette Hileman, Author, EditorVisit www.approachingfeloniaspark.com for details. Proceeds benefit a local food pantry.