Tea Bird is a childhood nickname for the author and was adopted as her Nom De Plume. Born in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, she enjoyed a quiet childhood. Married in 1981 to her high school sweetheart, they had their first child in 1982, a daughter who became a world renowned artist and the illustrator of this book. Her son was born in 1993 and is an honor student studying to be a physicist. Writing for her children was a favorite pasttime, and bringing her beloved stories to all children is now her passion.