Rocky Morrisette came from humble beginnings "up on the bluffs" of the Mississippi River in Illinois, where he was educated in a small four-room school house. At age 20, he enlisted in the Air Force. He later earned a degree in aviation and became an officer. He expanded his horizons and experienced adventures undreamed of back in the hills. He is a pilot, has skydived and scuba dived. He considers himself a born-again Alaskan, having spent 13 years in that "great big land, way up yonder." While there, he ran his own entertainment business. He later earned a second degree and returned to Illinois to teach high school. He is now retired and living in Tucson. He is a published poet and writer. He spends his time writing, doing genealogy, and telling stories. Contact him at rocky@theriver.com.

Jeannette Mare-Packard is the founder/mother of the Ben's Bells Project; a non-profit community art project aimed at encouraging connection through kindness. She is also a faculty member at the University of Arizona where she teaches sign language interpreting, has four amazing children (two recently adopted from Russia) and loves to run, bike, swim and play soccer. My story is about the incredible pain and the incredible gifts gained from the experience of losing my nearly 3-year-old son, Ben. It was a normal day (as it always is when these things happen) when he died and my world was shattered. The journey since has been nothing less than profound and amazing.

Prasenjit Ray is literally "the king/conqueror whose domain is happiness and cheer." Born and raised in Ohio (The Heart Of It All!), he moved to L.A. to get his Ph.D. in chemical engineering and to restart his life. Because he did not enjoy crowded highways, a polluted city, or having to live to 150 before being able to afford a house, he moved to Tucson after grad school. In his spare time, he enjoys fighting the various deadly plant and animal life indigenous to the desert and using his turn signal when appropriate.

While Eric Cuestas-Thompson is well-known in the Tucson community as a respected psychotherapist and author, he is also a skilled Feng Shui practitioner providing residential and business consultations through Eric Cuestas-Thompson Feng Shui. With his partner Michael, they conduct videotaped Feng Shui consultations ( http://www.thosefengshuiguys.com) for their client's later use and application, see their website  They share their home with Eric's son Dante, their two Pugs, Jack and Stella, and their Welsh Corgi Ricky. Contact him at ericcuestas-thompson@hotmail.com.