Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was a kid and made her own little books. She went to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where she received a BA in English--and probably spent more time writing--and reading.-- than studying. She has written short stories and articles--including interviews with editors, artists, and writers. She actually began writing novels when she discovered NaNoWriMo. Along the way she also built a house, and so she wrote a non-fiction book, Building a Cool House for Hot Times without Scorching the Pocketbook. Some years later she downsized. She remodeled the next house--and wrote a book about that. She focuses on her science fiction novels though.