Born and raised in the beautiful Pacific Northwest of Washington State, Theresa spent the first nine years of her life on an island in Puget Sound. With no neighborhood children nearby, she depended on imaginary people to keep her company until the much anticipated summer months when her best friend and cousin, Barbara, came to visit. Together, they created a world of exciting and ominous characters, often scaring themselves silly in the process. Theresa attended the University of Washington, received a B.A. in English, and spent the next twenty-plus years teaching middle school language arts and social studies before retiring "early." Now she is happy to indulge her wild imagination and passionate love of history and share these foibles with others, including her husband, Jerry, her humongous family, and a rescue pup and stray black cat. Theresa has made her home in Missouri, Georgia, and North Carolina but currently resides in South Carolina. When not at the computer, behind the vacuum, or in the laundry room, she enjoys traveling and poking her nose into strange and mysterious places. She has discovered unspeakable wonders in forty-two of our awesome fifty states--from the coast of California, the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, the tall prairie grasses of the Midwest, to the swamps of the deep South. She loves every corner of these United States and plans to visit all fifty before too long. A quiet beach town, south of Charleston, snagged Theresa's attention years ago and beguiles this Pacific Northwest girl with its Spanish moss and Live oaks. But she must confess, her favorite place to dream is still the Olympic Peninsula of her own Washington State, where ancient, massive trees, omnipresent drizzling rain, and the numerous scents and sounds of growing things stirs her soul. Theresa makes a pilgrimage "home" as often as she can.Theresa is a member of ACFW and the ACFW-SC Chapter, Anderson, SCVisit her webpage! http://www.booksbytheresajgarrido.comLeave her a tweet! http://twitter.com/booksbytheresa