Barbara Keaton was born in 1964 in Chicago, and as a native, she loves her city and cannot imagine living anywhere else. Her grandfather, the late Thomas Hill, instilled in her a passion to write. In 1987, she received a B.A. in communications from Columbia College. After graduation, she worked as a bus operator and found this period in her life as one of profound growth and development. Professionally, she's had over 15 years' experience in public, government, and community relations. In addition, she's written several articles and editorials that were published in various publications and has published several novels. Currently, she is a transportation manager for the Chicago Transit Authority. In May of 1999, Barbara received her master of science in journalism from Roosevelt University in Chicago. She belongs to several civic and professional organizations. In her spare time, she is an avid reader, writer, and Bid Whist player. She lives by a personal credo: I ANSWER TO TWO—MY GOD AND MYSELF. Please visit Barbara at her Web site: http://www.bkeaton.com.