Kristy crawling from an abandoned wolf den in Canada.

Kristy was born and raised in Bloomington, Illinois.  She was always fascinated with animals, and the creek near her childhood home provided many tadpoles, frogs, and snakes for Kristy to “share” with her family.  She was fortunate to grow up with a house full of pets, and in her teens, acquired her first horse to care for.

Later in life, Kristy and her husband, Morgan, left their business careers to embark on a dream journey to raise cattle in the beautiful Ozarks of Southwest Missouri.  The daily care of a cattle herd, horses, and pets motivated Kristy to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.  After returning to Illinois to be closer to family, Kristy became a veterinary technician working with small animals and exotics, as well as the local zoo wildlife.  She continues to work with wildlife as a naturalist for the Wildlife Prairie State Park near Peoria, Illinois.

One of Kristy's favorite species, the wolf, became her focus of research and education after numerous trips with leading wolf experts to Minnesota, Yellowstone and Canada.  Her goal is to educate young minds about real wolves and other endangered species while entertaining them with fictional adventures. 

Contact Kristy via email at raines@telstar-online.net.

  

Related Links

The illustrator for my books is my husband, Morgan Raines.  See some of his other artwork at www.morganraines.com