Connie Hampton Connally has loved music and the written word all her life, and many of her adult years she's spent working in those fields as well. She holds a BA in English from the University of Washington and an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University. She's published magazine stories and newspaper articles, worked as an editor, and taught high school English and elementary music. Through teaching music, she discovered the work of Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, who uplifted his nation through decades of war, fascism and communism. Ms. Connally couldn't resist this theme of beauty amidst hardship. She wrote The Songs We Hide as a result, and she is currently writing another novel set in Hungary. Ms. Connally and her husband make their home in Tacoma, Washington. They travel frequently, since two of their three adult sons live on other continents. Because of her family and her characters, Ms. Connally has set her heart-and often her feet-in faraway places.