Marilyn Catherine McDonald (Smith), a professional writer since 1967, self- published two books in her early seventies - Little Girl Lost: A True Story of Tragic Death and Mother of Eight Survives Population Explosion: Just Between Us Column Selections. She earned her BS from Portland State University in 1975 and an MA in Communications from the University of Portland in 1977. Then, as a single parent with six of her eight children still at home she returned to the work force for the first time in 25 years. She climbed the corporate ladder in hospital public relations and publication production, owned an advertising agency, and served as an officer in several professional organizations. In addition, she volunteered as a suicide/crisis hotline counselor, a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children, and a recovery counselor to women in prison. With hundreds of newspaper and magazine feature stories to her credit, she now writes books and articles. Marilyn and her retired Air Force husband Harry Taylor are world travelers. They're at home in Central Oregon for the summers and spend their winters along the Sea of Cortez in San Felipe, Baja, Mexico.