Sandra Harvey: Growing up in a house on a cliff overlooking the Sea, with a Russian fortune-teller for a mother, and a Irish storyteller for a dad, writing just seems to be quite natural. I raised my children romantically on imagined people and places. I am writing these stories now. As a life career I am a fashion designer with a culinary degree. My first picture book: "Trizzella's Bedtime Picture Book" is a love letter to my children and the place they grew up. ARTIST STATEMENT Children are fascinated by strange and frightening stories, it is actually good for them, stretching their imaginations, allowing their hearts to attach to the characters. They root for them be they evil or good.I was introduced to Gothic Story telling at a very young age, my father being Irish and of a poor upbringing in the Deep South was a true spinner of tales both frightening and terrible.

He was raised by his grandparents in a dark heavily forested region of Arkansas near a swampy bog, with time on his hands to let his mind wander into creepy imaginings that he carried into his adulthood. As a child I can still vividly remember goring up in a house lit by candlelight while the sounds of old lonesome country love songs were a constant in the background. The nights were hot and muggy filling the air with fireflies and mosquitoes. My dad would sit in his chair, take a long drag off his hand rolled cigarette, lean forward and let the smoke seep slowly from his lips as he began his tales of the strange creatures dwelling in the woods. This was exciting for me and I hung my heart on every word as he warned me and my brother that the 'Will o the Wisp' would rise from the swamps at night and come looking for us if we should wander from our beds.