When you live 92 years, your frame of reference becomes quite broad. And if you had a father who told stories and tall tales around the dinner table in your childhood, as I had, then you might understand where my imagination came from.
I was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to very loving parents. I married my handsome high school sweetheart at age 20, and we had six great kids. At age 33, I was given the opportunity to go to Youngstown State University, and I grabbed it. With the help of my family and the constant encouragement of my oldest daughter, Linda, I was able to finish in seven years, and at age 40, I graduated with a B.A. in Education and a minor in English. I then taught junior high school English for 24 years and retired in 1991.
My husband passed away in 1999, and although I had always written short stories and poetry as a pastime, I had never seriously thought of writing and publishing anything until he died. That is when I began using my frame of reference, which was rich in personalities and lifestyles. These were my “golden years,” and they were just that: golden.
I now reside at the Blackburn Retirement Home, an outstanding place that has allowed me to use all of their technology to spend my hours writing. Enjoy my first brain child, Heaven's Doorway. There's more to come.
Website: https://www.dldbooks.com/marybaluck/
To comment on the book or to contact me, you may write to my daughter, Linda Pompeii: lapompeii@gmail.com