Ronda Lawson is a California native who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was writing poetry long before she learned how to hold a crayon. She is an award-winning poet whose work has appeared in a wide variety of magazines. Her first book of poetry, "Kitchen Odysseys", is now available from Finishing Line Press or at Amazon.com.  Her second book, "Watching Ants", is scheduled for publication in September, 2009. She has also published numerous non-fiction articles and short fiction. Ronda is currently the San Francisco Office Administrator for a large international public accounting firm. She lives on a cattle ranch in the Castro Valley hills with her long-time partner Doug, as well as a very small dog with a very big heart, and and lots of wild creatures. When words fail her, she turns to art, including painting and collage, and often incorporates lines of poetry into her work. She spends a lot of time looking at the hills with a pencil in her hand. YOU CAN CONTACT THE AUTHOR AT RLAWSONWRITER@AOL.COM.