Sylvia Dickey Smith was born in Orange, Texas, and grew up in a colorful Scots-Irish family living in the midst of a Cajun culture. When 34, her curiosity about the world took on a whole new dimension when she moved to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad & Tobago. Awed by the differences in customs and cultures, particularly as they related to West Indian women, set her on a journey of study and self-discovery. Back in the U.S. at 40, she started college and didn't stop until achieving a B.A. in sociology with a concentration in women's studies and a master's in counseling. For the next twenty years she worked in the field of human services and taught as an adjunct professor at the… graduate level. Her writing career didn't begin until after retirement.An advocate for women, her writing features those who recreate themselves into the people they want to be, strong women who take charge of their lives and get things done.