I grew up with my nose in a book. I loved reading! As a young adult, I chose a secure path and became a nurse (which I love). This path forced me to read medical books over fiction. I continued with my education until I received my PhD in Nursing. During my PhD program, I needed an escape. I picked up reading fiction again, and I rekindled my love to escape into a story. Right before my dissertation, characters started to occupy my thoughts and pull me away from my studies. They wouldn’t go away until I wrote them down in a notebook. In the fall of 2012, I was pregnant with my fourth (and final!) child. I used to use my early morning hours to exercise, but it became difficult with my pregnancy. I decided to use this time instead to write. I sat in my chair almost every morning for one to three hours and wrote about the characters that wouldn’t get out of my head. It was a nice escape from my PhD program, and after three months, I had written a book! From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I’m also an assistant professor and a researcher in the area of child health promotion. I also taxi around my four children and squeeze in time for my supportive husband. I am in the process of obtaining an agent for my book. You can follow me on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ipuna.black, Twitter at: https://twitter.com/IpunaB, and my website: ipunablack.com.