Jan Johnston

With Wrapped in Love, author Jan Johnston embarks on another in a series of careers. Educated at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, she began teaching 7th grade geography and English in 1963. Jan's teaching career spanned 35 years and encompassed work with kids from the general classroom to special needs and the gifted, primarily in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Sprinkled into those years were careers as a volunteer and a mother. Then, upon retirement from teaching, Jan opened her own business as a landscape designer. Next came the thrill of becoming a grandmother.

Seven years later, when her husband retired, Jan and Dick sold their house and most of its contents, bought a motor home and hit the road. They have been traveling full time with their 10 pound cock-a-poo, Nomie, since August 3, 2006. This adventure has taken them to local and national parks, major league baseball stadiums, art museums and botanical gardens, presidential museums and libraries. To date, the Johnstons have covered 3/4 of the states and half of the Canadian provinces and aim to spend time in 100% of each before they consider "settling down" again.

Jan has been an avid reader and writer all her life, but Wrapped in Love is her first published work. It began during an outing with her grandson when he became concerned about "...a sound I don't know". Nomie, then a young puppy, showed similar fears when she heard coyotes howl. The book took shape from there.

Jan notes, "I have found that writing is a wonderful way to sharpen my memory of people and events. It forces me to pay greater attention and gives me the opportunity to play with words and descriptions". She looks forward to turning more of these experiences into stories to share.