Suzanne Strempek Shea's writing was first published in her own hand-lettered & illustrated "Nutty News" (circulation: one copy) when she was eight years old. Now, in her early-40s, she covers two small towns for the "Springfield Union-News". Her freelance writing has been published in magazines including Yankee & New England Monthly. She lives in Bondsville, Massachusetts, with her husband, Tommy, a journalist with the "Union-News". She was the recipient of the NBA Award for "Lily of the Valley".