RA Flores is a native Californian who still resides in the state. He fell in love with reading at an early age, thanks to the many books given to him as a child. Among those “first” books he received were The Swans of Ballycastle, King of the Wind, and Robinson Crusoe. “Believe it or not, I still have two of these books in my possession, along with others from my childhood.” His love of reading never faltered, continuing into middle school, high school, and college. “I remember spending many of my lunch breaks in the school library, reading just for sheer pleasure. During summer vacations, my thirst for reading continued. My brother and I would skateboard to the public library on a regular basis. We frequented the library so much that two of the librarians became quite familiar with us. Sometimes, I would visit the library just to browse through the shelves. There was ‘something’ about seeing all those books lined in perfect order, waiting to be checked out. I guess I was a typical bookworm.” Mr. Flores graduated from California State University, Northridge with both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies, and a secondary school teaching credential. He continued his graduate studies at the same university, receiving a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education, with an emphasis on Reading Improvement. He returned to graduate school shortly thereafter to earn a second master’s degree. This time, in Educational Computing from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He retired as a community college professor where he taught courses in computer literacy, HTML programming, and office applications. He now spends his time traveling with his wife, Linda, and writing from home. The Christmas Stone is his first novella available in print (although he previously wrote and published several educational workbooks in computer literacy and office applications). His second novella, The Christmas Tailor, continues with a holiday theme.