Once upon a time, there was a little girl whose favorite stories began with those words. Mari L Barnes has had a love affair with reading for as long as she can remember. Aside from a short time when she wanted to be a cowboy, her only true ambition was to be a writer. Along with writing and co-authoring children's books under the pen-name, Mari Lumpkin, she's also author of the novels Parting River Jordan and Crossing River Jordan, using the pen-name ML Barnes.It was always important to share her love of books. Mari claims that all of her dolls were very good readers by the time she was done with them. Over the years, Mari has created and implemented several reading enrichment and tutoring programs for young people from preschool to high school. She has sponsored two book clubs for youngsters for the last two years.Mari is an avid (occasionally successful) gardener and an Indiana Master Naturalist. She enjoys walking and dancing and is devoted to kettle bells. She has two children, three grandchildren and lives with The World's Greatest Husband in Hammond, Indiana.