Cassandra Lokker

Cassandra Lokker was born in New Richmond, Wisconsin on September 28, 1983. She grew up in Baldwin, Wisconsin, and attended both the public and Christian schools in that community as a child. Already in elementary school, she was filling blank notebooks with stories, and in third grade, her work was recognized in the Young Author's competition sponsored by schools in the area. The story was called The Secret Place, and the work was illustrated and then bound to look like a real book. She was given the opportunity to read the story aloud in front of other Young Author winners and at a few school assemblies.From that point on, Cassandra knew she wanted to be a writer. In the spring of her senior year of high school, she participated in a poetry contest which encouraged students to write a poem that spoke of the consequences of drinking and driving. Cassandra was surprised to win the contest, but she was honored to present her senior class with additional funds for their senior class party.In the fall of 2002, Cassandra enrolled in classes at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota. She attended the college until the end of her sophomore year. She enjoyed singing and touring with the choir in addition to spending time with friends, but when she thought of her ambition to write, she knew she had to consider a transfer if she wanted to pursue a writing career.She began her junior year at Dordt College in Sioux Center, IA, and in her first semester at the school, she was enrolled in three English classes. Although the workload was overwhelming at times, she successfully completed her degree in December of 2006. Leading up to that point, she completed her final requirement for the English department, a course designed to operate as an independent study. Instead of writing a collection of poems, essays, or research writing, she decided to write a novella. She knew it would be a challenge, but when the semester was complete, she had a book almost ready for publication. This started her on the road to pursing writing as a career.Currently, Cassandra lives in Baldwin, Wisconsin, a short distance from several friends and relatives. She travels to Greenleafton, Minnesota on occasion to see her parents and sisters; she also volunteers at the local library and participates in music ministry at her church. When she isn't writing, Cassandra can be found reading, going for walks, connecting with her friends over the phone, and writing and practicing her music. Cassandra is looking forward to sharing her writing with everyone, and she hopes there will be many stories to offer up in the future.Her book, Beyond the Fury, is available for sale on http://www.amazon.com and http://www.bbotw.com. Please feel free to visit her website also at http://www.cassandralokker.com. Here is a bit of a teaser from the book:As they neared town, her thoughts were stilled as she looked around in disbelief. The roadside was strewn with broken tree limbs, and full trees torn from their roots now obstructed the path in front of them. Shingles, bits of tree bark, and wood splinters littered the ground as well, hindering their progress. As they drew closer to the town ahead, Caitlyn could detect the mingled odors of smoke and moist earth. The combined scent was a constant reminder of the uncertainty that awaited them.