My parents immigrated to the United States from Holland (the Netherlands) with my two older brothers the year before I was born. I grew up on a series of dairy farms in California into what became a very large family—seven brothers and two sisters. When I entered high school, my fascination with creative writing began. I was fortunate to receive excellent instruction, plus a great deal of encouragement, from my English teachers. One put an extra credit story I had written into the annual school … More about About