Linda Hickam was raised in a large, loving family on the last hill of the Appalachians, where everyday nature was their wonderful playground. Her rocket engineer dad also taught them about critters and amphibians in their yard, with a creek running through it, and she continues to love learning about nature today. Linda also has a passion for cats and has volunteered with cat rescue her whole life. Her career was in the space industry in her hometown, Huntsville, Alabama, as a graphic artist and a copywriter. Also, a scuba diving professional, she lived in the Caribbean for several years. She loved learning about every flowering tree or bush and all the beautiful marine life under the ocean, especially the fish. She has enjoyed a home on Saint John, US Virgin Islands for 23 years with her husband Homer Hickam, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Rocket Boys made into the movie “October Sky.” Homer is her first reader and editor, the PondDad and father of their kitties.