Before establishing Bass Pond Press in 2004, I had always been fortunate in my career path. I was born into a retail family as my parents founded a company still in existence 70 years later. Through the years I have enjoyed being a retail buyer, designer and builder of homes, small business owner, gardener, cook and now a writer.

I have loved to cook since I was young. I began by baking and my brownies, cookies, and pies were always a hit with family and friends. My preliminary excursions into entrees were not as successful. Once when my mother was out of town, I decided to cook dinner — meatloaf and baked potatoes. Upon serving, the meatloaf was dry and the potatoes not cooked — Dad suggested we dine out, but as time went by my meals improved and I gained the reputation of being a good cook. I have always taken the same approach to cooking as a vocation — do what you love and you'll enjoy facing each day.

I hold an M.B.A. in finance from Florida State University (GO Seminoles) in Tallahassee, FL, and work for the University of Massachusetts. In my spare time when not writing and marketing my cookbooks, I love to garden. One can never have too many daffodils and I love to look out and see all the colorful flowers. As in cooking, there is great satisfaction with the end result.

~ Ann