Kay Keppler was born and raised in Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful state, and she’s always liked it, but it’s awfully cold in the winter and way too hot and humid in the summer, plus the mosquitoes could carry you away. She settled in northern California, where she’s lived comfortably ever since in that old house with the wonky plumbing.

She enjoys reading and writing, movies and TV, and she has a messy garden she shares with neighbors But her favorite thing to do is lie on the sofa in the afternoon with a good novel, a cup of tea, and music to fit the mood.