Anne Carlisle holds a doctorate in 19th Century British Literature from Case Western Reserve University and is a big fan of Dickens, Hardy, Eliot,  Austen, and all the rest of those classic Brits. Her  doctoral dissertation was written on the novels of George Meredith.  Wanting more grit in her life, she left academe for a time,  working on public relations in the hospitality industry in Key West, followed by stints in the architectural and real estate industries. She returned to academe at Mill's College in Oakland, California, ultimately serving as a dean for Golden Gate University in San Francisco, which has its roots in the Gold Rush. She lived for ten years in that vibrant city.  On returning to the East coast in 2006, she became an Associate Vice President at a technical college in the Carolinas.  Currently an Associate Professor and Course Chair at UMUC, she  enjoys teaching college writing online and worldwide to U.S. military students.  She has a long list of writing credits, having dabbled in many genres while working as a newspaper columnist, magazine editor, theatre reviewer, national platform speaker, and feature writer. She authored a best-selling seminar/trade book on writing and published dozens of articles in southeast Florida. Her debut novel, out from BookLocker in August, 2012,  is part of a trilogy (HOME SCHOOLING)  that  was partly inspired by Thomas Hardy's Return of the Native.  Her husband Mark Leik is a native of Wyoming. Anne owes to him  the setting of the trilogy and not a few of its colorful tall tales.