Rebecca McKinnon has spent her life in a world filled with books, which she devours at an alarming rate. Her best friends include Bekka Cooper, Lady Katsa, Will Stanton and Ron Weasley. The biggest compliment she can give a book is that it was impossible to put down. She currently lives near Salt Lake City with her husband, three kids and a cat.

BIOGRAPHICAL RAMBLE

THE STORY OF A MIDDLE CHILD

Once there were two oldest children. They had a family, including a middle child. That middle child spent most of her life living in a place called Utah.

As a little girl she began studying the violin since her parents couldn’t find anyone to teach a young girl to play the viola. The girl grew quickly, and soon she was big enough to handle the larger instrument. Most people looked at her and saw a musician. Others, however, saw whatever they wanted to see. A shy daddy’s girl. A sweet child with an easy smile. A grouchy girl who could eat more than the rest of her family put together. A silly kid who didn’t take very much seriously. Someone who, when she was told to go play outside, would sneak a book with her and hide in a tree so she could finish “the good part.” Very few people bothered to look for the whole person, because they all thought they knew who she was, and she lived up to what each person took for granted. She didn’t mind, since all those things were a part of her.

As that middle child grew older, she put a lot of effort into learning music. Through music, the girl discovered the joy of traveling. She journeyed many places, and fell in love with each of them. Ireland held beautiful countrysides and cozy wool sweaters, pajama-clad runs to the store for chocolate-covered Hobnobs, and new friendships. In England she found connections with long-lost relatives and stocked up on Fruit Pastilles. In the Near East she embraced the heat and history, and Egypt held wonderful-smelling spice markets and fulfilled her dream of seeing the pyramids. She journeyed to several other countries, wishing she could live each place she went and vowing to return. Those return visits are still in the off-ing. Her most recent trip was to Bermuda, where one of her favorite places was a moat garden.

She was not the most coordinated person, and had the talent of being able to hurt herself sitting in a corner doing nothing. As she got older she liked to have who-has-the-most-scars contests with her friends because she always won. The fact that all the boys were jealous of her numerous scars made her laugh.

As she got older the middle child found many things that made her happy. Her family was always a priority. When she grew up she fell in love with another middle child, and they had three kids who took most of her time. Chocolate could always make her smile. Spending time in one of her favorite rooms of the house—the library—was also a joy. She had some very good friends that let her complain to them when necessary, and would play with her when she needed a lift.

The middle child worked several jobs, including: as a teacher, in sales, and once held job that required being a jack-of-all-trades—including coddling people who didn’t like her.

Writing was an on-and-off indulgence for a very long time before becoming something more.