ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ronda Blevins Hastings is a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother to four delightful granddaughters. Ronda grew up near Hume, Missouri, and Fort Scott, Kansas. Sheltered among family and friends, where she was taught to appreciate and love the land that was so cherished by these small farming communities. While attending Fort Scott Community College, Ronda's teacher, Mrs. Lucile James introduced her to the art of writing, a craft that would be put on the back burner as Ronda's life branched out into a different direction. In 1982, God opened the door for the Hastings family to serve Him in the South Pacific nation of New Zealand. Ronda and her husband, Brad, spent twenty-five precious years living and ministering among the people of Auckland and the capital city of Wellington. For the past seven years, Ronda has resided in the quaint town of Grants, New Mexico, assisting her husband at the Faith Baptist Mission located on old Route 66, admiring and working among the Native American people living on the Haystack and Baca Reservations. This lifestyle change has provided the unique opportunity for Ronda to pursue her passion for writing and gardening. Life in the desert has inspired several of her stories; the mesas as they rise up from the earth, tumble weeds as they scurry across the barren land and the sounds of ravens as they fly through the endless, blue skies. Ronda may be reached at Ronda2nz@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/AuthorRondaHastings