MELISSA TWOCROW
Melissa was raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education with Minors in Spanish and American Indian Studies, a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction, a B.S. in American Indian Studies with a Minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and a B.A. in East Asian Studies.
Melissa taught preschool through adult learning classes for about forty years and was a seasonal interpreter of Lakota (Sioux) culture for seven years.
Books have been an important part of Melissa's family for several generations. In fact, she was named after a character in her father's favorite book! Her grandmother published a book of original poetry, and Melissa's mother was the best story and poem reader ever! Melissa started writing at a very young age when she wrote her own versions of Dr. Seuss poems on the inside covers of her books. Then she moved on to writing greeting cards, complete with “trademarks” on the back, for every family occasion. Melissa has wanted to be a professional writer ever since her fourth-grade teacher wanted to keep a poem she wrote for an assignment. She wrote for the school newspaper through Junior High and High School and was a member of Quill and Scroll.
Melissa's son is a member of the U.S. Army. He and his wife have always loved books and have passed their love of reading on to their children.