About the Author
I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, the youngest of seven children in a family with artistic leanings. Growing up in post-depression days, money for toys to fulfill childhood fantasy was rare; so much was left to one’s own imagination. The library was a great source of entertainment for me and my siblings. I remember my mother saying “If any of the neighbors wanted books from the library, they would have to come to our house to get them.”
My parents both played the piano and my older sisters would often sing along. Show business type movies and opera at the Muny in Forest Park were popular. My oldest sister danced at the Fox Theater with a group called the Marquettes. The dancers wore costumes that were loaned to them by the famous Rockettes.
My second oldest sister won a contest by drawing a picture of the statue of St. Louis that stands in front of the St. Louis Art Museum. She moved to California seeking a movie career and while there, she lived at the Hollywood Studio Club, a popular residence for aspiring actresses. Her room, in fact, was across the hall from another aspiring starlet, Marilyn Monroe. Instead of movies my sister toured the country singing in light opera productions and I still remember the thrill of seeing her on stage in St. Louis. Later in life she followed her first love, painting. Her works were displayed in banks and art shows in Florida where she eventually lived.
My third oldest sister graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and became adept at researching family history. As a result of her work, her daughter, Rusty Watson, wrote a novel based on one of our ancestor’s whaling experiences called “The Idler.”
Another sister obtained a music degree from the Claremont College in California and taught piano for several years. The remaining sister was closest to me in age. She was a tomboy and liked western movies more than the “Show Biz” type that the older ones liked. Besides teaching me how to play baseball in our youth, she graduated from Missouri University. She became a public school teacher and also painted in her limited spare time while rearing five boys.
During the World War II years, my brother joined the Air Force serving our country in Italy. When on leave he would bring his military friends to our house; since my older sisters were of dating age, they also did not lack military company. I, being too young to date, found the activity exciting even though I was totally aware of the horrors of war.
So far I have told more about my family than myself. That is because I feel a great debt of gratitude to them. Of course we squabbled as in most families. I was bossed, sent on errands, corrected unmercifully, and I endured all of the pain of being last. On the other hand, I benefited from the glory of being blessed with the best experiences, (too many to mention here) of being a member of one of the most wonderful families anyone could have. All of them have gone on to fulfill their destiny. I wish they were here to read my book and to know that it is my honor to be able to honor them in this writing.
After high school I attended the University of Missouri in Columbia for one year before I married the father of my three children. A few years later, as a single parent, I worked in offices and sold real estate. I did make time to attend classes at the St. Louis Community College at Meramec, where I received an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts. I continued on with college and eventually earned a Bachelor Degree from Webster University. The core of my education at Webster was centered on Literature in Popular Culture and its Political Implications, which included science fiction.
My children are grown and I have several grandchildren. I have since remarried and now live with my wonderful husband, Ed, in Chesterfield, Missouri. My writing had been put on hold due to many circumstances beyond my control. I kept some stories and poems that I had written over the years and have recently revised this science fiction piece titled HOOTS.
Besides the love of writing, I enjoy painting, decorating, travel, gardening, television movies and programs that include history or science. I endeavor to create interesting works that will hold a reader’s attention from beginning to end and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this science fiction story.
My parents both played the piano and my older sisters would often sing along. Show business type movies and opera at the Muny in Forest Park were popular. My oldest sister danced at the Fox Theater with a group called the Marquettes. The dancers wore costumes that were loaned to them by the famous Rockettes.
My second oldest sister won a contest by drawing a picture of the statue of St. Louis that stands in front of the St. Louis Art Museum. She moved to California seeking a movie career and while there, she lived at the Hollywood Studio Club, a popular residence for aspiring actresses. Her room, in fact, was across the hall from another aspiring starlet, Marilyn Monroe. Instead of movies my sister toured the country singing in light opera productions and I still remember the thrill of seeing her on stage in St. Louis. Later in life she followed her first love, painting. Her works were displayed in banks and art shows in Florida where she eventually lived.
My third oldest sister graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and became adept at researching family history. As a result of her work, her daughter, Rusty Watson, wrote a novel based on one of our ancestor’s whaling experiences called “The Idler.”
Another sister obtained a music degree from the Claremont College in California and taught piano for several years. The remaining sister was closest to me in age. She was a tomboy and liked western movies more than the “Show Biz” type that the older ones liked. Besides teaching me how to play baseball in our youth, she graduated from Missouri University. She became a public school teacher and also painted in her limited spare time while rearing five boys.
During the World War II years, my brother joined the Air Force serving our country in Italy. When on leave he would bring his military friends to our house; since my older sisters were of dating age, they also did not lack military company. I, being too young to date, found the activity exciting even though I was totally aware of the horrors of war.
So far I have told more about my family than myself. That is because I feel a great debt of gratitude to them. Of course we squabbled as in most families. I was bossed, sent on errands, corrected unmercifully, and I endured all of the pain of being last. On the other hand, I benefited from the glory of being blessed with the best experiences, (too many to mention here) of being a member of one of the most wonderful families anyone could have. All of them have gone on to fulfill their destiny. I wish they were here to read my book and to know that it is my honor to be able to honor them in this writing.
After high school I attended the University of Missouri in Columbia for one year before I married the father of my three children. A few years later, as a single parent, I worked in offices and sold real estate. I did make time to attend classes at the St. Louis Community College at Meramec, where I received an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts. I continued on with college and eventually earned a Bachelor Degree from Webster University. The core of my education at Webster was centered on Literature in Popular Culture and its Political Implications, which included science fiction.
My children are grown and I have several grandchildren. I have since remarried and now live with my wonderful husband, Ed, in Chesterfield, Missouri. My writing had been put on hold due to many circumstances beyond my control. I kept some stories and poems that I had written over the years and have recently revised this science fiction piece titled HOOTS.
Besides the love of writing, I enjoy painting, decorating, travel, gardening, television movies and programs that include history or science. I endeavor to create interesting works that will hold a reader’s attention from beginning to end and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this science fiction story.
Copyright © 2015 Martha Lanser ISBN: 9781483537207, Paperback ISBN: 978-1-63192-812-3
