Jim and Marion Applegate earned their degrees in the Midwest from the University of Dubugue and Rockford College. As English teachers they shared their love of language with their students until retiring in 1998. Throughout their careers they have both enjoyed writing with students and colleagues. Peninsula Writers of Michigan has published their poems, essays and short stories. Born and raised in Watchung, New Jersey, they grew up exploring the beauty and mystery of the coastal beaches and inland forests where Delaware Indians lived before the settlers arrived. Family letters passed down to Marion inspired them to research and write historical fiction about the society of the Native Americans who saved her ancestor's life in 1640.
