"Something happens. Glasses are lost, a baby is born, the dog dies, love plays its tricks. It is samantha's gift to see the whole world in these sad, funny, poignant, events and yes, you're in there, too. Read her essays and you'll see what I mean."

Jane Viehl -- Reader

Samantha Ducloux Waltz, a freelance writer, lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Ray, Annie the dog and Naomi the cat. She boards her horse, Vida, at a nearby stable.

A graduate of John Muir High School in Pasadena, California, and Brigham Young University, Samantha earned a master's degree from UCLA and teaching credentials in both California and Oregon. Her teaching experience includes middle school, high school, and adult education.

She retired early from teaching to pursue her writing. Her essays currently appear in numerous anthologies and have won several awards. She has also written fiction and nonfiction under the name Samellyn Wood. She is also polishing a novel, Undertow, about what happens when God, love and sex collide.

Samantha enjoys many outdoor activities and and time with her adult children Tami, Ben and Joel Wood, Ben's wife Alicia and daughters Anais and Jade, and her large, delightful stepfamily. She relishes exploring new paths.