M.J. Mathews (Dip.H/Sc; B.A.) was born in -Mackay, Queensland, Australia. She has been well-educated academically, qualifying as a Senior Home Science Teacher, then later attending the University of Queensland of an evening as well as learning from the School of Life. She has been able to indulge her passion for world travel, and has worked at several occupations, until she retired from lecturing on Biological Science at Adult Evening Classes. After retiring, while nursing her invalid mother she took up painting, another latent passion, as respite, and, in recent years, she has turned to writing to satisfy another deep urge. She was a "greenie" long before it became fashionable, and would like to get the message across to others that humans are not the only important life-form on the planet. Apart from using her green fingers, she keeps the physical parts functioning with Yoga and Golf. She believes that you are off to a flying start to each day if you wake up breathing.