Lori Gerads was raised in SD amid many animal friends. One summer as a teenager she was a horse trail guide and had the pleasure to stay with a family with a pet skunk...and, incidentally it was not de-scented. Interesting pet, and one she hasn't written about yet.

Currently she lives with her wonderful husband Tony of 17 years, and three beautiful daughters Erika, Brianna and Miranda. They live on a 40 acre farm in Eastern South Dakota called Whispering Equine Estates. They have a variety of pets that have included a goat and a deer. Horses are her favorite animals. Currently they have ten cats, a dog and seven horses.

Lori started writing poems on a whim in 2000. One morning when she and Erika were home sick, an owl perched just outside Lori's bedroom window. It stayed all day. That night she was surfing the web and saw a contest to win $10,000 for writing a poem. She thought, we really could use some extra money, so gave it a shot. Well, she hasn't won any contests yet, but has rediscovered a passion for writing poetry and story telling. Lori has since had several poems published nationally and internationally in anthologies including "The International Who's Who in Poetry" in 2005.

She really enjoys writing poems and short children's stories. She hopes you enjoy them as much as she enjoys sharing them. Lori says, "Dreams do come true...so always strive for the best! Keep reading, and writing."