Charlene Laper has loved literature as long as she can remember. Her parents often quoted poetry and read aloud as well as telling stories. Rhyming words fascinated her and she began writing poetry as a youth. Charlene enjoyed an agrarian background from early life. She grew up on a farm and roamed the woods and fields freely, thus developing a deep appreciation for nature. As an adult she divided her time between the duties of a farm wife and mother as well as teaching elementary school children for many years. In her retirement she joined a writer's group and began writing poetry in earnest. Her love of the outdoors, as well as her faith, serves as inspiration for much of her writing. Charlene lives in Michigan on a small acreage with her son and their dog Mickey.