Joanie StrulowitzWhen Joanie Strulowitz was growing up, she felt like frosting without the cake--and not great frosting at that. As an observer who always thought something was wrong with her because she didn't fit in, she discovered that writing, books, and all of te arts helped her make sense of life. With a memory that is largely emotive, Joanie recalls almost every square inch of how she felt growing up. Now she seeks to be the voice she searched for, so the lessons she learned can help others find the gifts in their differences--and believe in themselves and their dreams. * One day, while living in New York City, Joanie happened to glance out her window--and saw a perfectly shaped, cornflower-blue keyhole, in the middle of a sky filled with silver-gray clouds. A giant one that seemed to be waiting expressly for her. As she stared into it, the keyhole expanded--pushed the clouds away--and let the sky float free. The experience felt like a palpable message, in a code that she couldn't decipher. So it lived in the back of her mind for eight years. Until one day--she opened her journal--and the voice of Ballad, a seventeen-year-old Light Follower and visionary, started pouring out of her pen. * Joanie moved from Iowa to Chicago to New York City to Los Angeles. Today you can find her (and her black turtleneck) writing a chapter on a grocery bag while walking home, or jotting down notes for her next fantasy novel while doing Pilates. She is a longtime member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her books include: My Love Affair with Manhattan (Vignettes of a Life in the City) and Ballad, the Light Follower (Book 1). You can visit her online at www.joaniestrulowitz.com. Read More Read Less