Penny Lauer grew up in Newark, Ohio, the setting for Bottled Butterfly, and spent as much time as she could on her aunts' and uncles' farms in the surrounding area. People always ask if any of the novel's characters are actual people she has known, and, yes, several of the characters are studies of people whom she observed on the farms and in small communities in Licking County. Penny graduated from Ohio University in 1965 with a degree in English and taught high school honors English for several years. After teaching, she pursued business careers that took her to major cities and led to travel across the country and internationally. During this time she journaled constantly, making note of interesting people and what made them that way; and she described in detail towns, architecture, and natural wonders that caused a deep reaction. Often that reaction led to the writing of a poem or a monologue that she added to her personal collection. She met her husband during one of her trips, and they settled down first in Columbus and later in Cleveland, Ohio, where they still have a summer home. They continued to travel extensively because of his job, and she continued to journal. They raised two wonderful daughters, and, when there was time, Penny volunteered and enjoyed organizing benefits for fundraising. Penny's first writing experience that she shared was a cookbook she wrote for her daughters and extended family. She included family recipes passed down from generations and wrote stories about each one. That led her to write her mother's biography which was presented to her family on her mother's 90th birthday, and Penny realized the important legacy that written works provide. She also understood finally what a pleasure it is to put words together to create a story and to make characters come alive on the page, and so, with just a little trepidation, she decided to pursue her dream to write seriously and began attending writers' conferences. She had a name for her manuscript, Bottled Butterfly, and a definite idea for its conclusion when she met Bob Gelinas from ArcheBooks at the Naples Writers Conference. She set up an appointment to pitch the manuscript to him. Six months later he offered to publish it. Penny acknowledges that she is very fortunate to have the encouragement of family and friends to pursue her dream, the time to make it happen, and a little bit of wisdom that comes with age to create a story that she had inside all those years. Penny Lauer is available for book signings and writing memoirs. To contact Penny Lauer, please click here.