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Marsha ArnoldWeb site: www.marshadianearnold.com “I studied English at Kansas State University, but I never envisioned becoming a writer. As a child I loved to read, but I didn’t relate to the fact that there was someone writing the books I loved. Writers? Surely they were beings from some far–off galaxy, magical beings different from me. It was only as an adult that I truly understood that writers are people just like you and me. They work hard at their craft and sometimes are inspired to create art.” “When my children were small, so full of joy and curiosity, I began writing about their daily adventures. This led me to write “homegrown treasures”, a syndicated column that won three Best Local Columnist awards from the California Newspaper Association. Even better than the awards was that people related to my column. They would come up to me and say, ‘I loved your column this week! I know just what you mean.’ It made me happy to know that families read my column together and that both children and adults enjoyed it. I still believe that the very best writing and the very best literature is for all ages. Later, I started to write for children’s magazines, but my dream was to someday write a real book like the ones I loved to read as a child.” Arnold grew up on a family farm in Kansas. She thought of herself as a timid child, but she always had a special affinity for animals. She loved playing with the kittens in the hayloft and helping her father feed the calves. She got pecked a lot while gathering the eggs by the hens jealously guarding their eggs. She went on to study English at Kansas State University where she met a young basketball player named Fred Arnold, who she eventually married. They raised two children in California who are now grown. She has a daughter named Amy who graduated from New York State University and is doing choreography and performing in musical theatre. She also has a son named Cal who graduated from Dartmouth University and is now the co-captain of the Dartmouth’s Men’s Basketball team. Today she lives in California with her husband. When she’s not writing or speaking at schools, she enjoys gardening and practicing yoga and taking long walks with friends. She and her husband also enjoy traveling and exploring faraway places. Some of her favorite activities are scuba diving and being surrounded by colorful fish, and hiking in forests and jungles and mountains. Marsha Diane Arnold is the author of 11 books including:
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