I grew up with stories all around me, reading Little Golden Books, hearing my mother recite poetry, and listening in when adults shared events and memories with each other.

I wrote and illustrated my first story when I was eight. My mother bound the pages in a construction paper cover tied with yarn, which she kept for many years.

I was the daughter of what at the time was called a mixed marriage–Mennonite mother and father of English-Scotch-Irish heritage. This gave me the privilege of being both participant in and observer of different customs and ways of speaking, and it contributed to a life-long interest in history, culture, and language of people.

I have taught and written curriculum for pre-school, elementary, middle school, and adult levels in public school, religious, and business settings. This led to writing articles for professional and organizational magazines and newsletters, and publishing a trade book, The Art of Dialogue: Exploring Personality Differences for More Effective Communication. I also write poetry, including a book about the life and lore of my paternal grandmother, Sketches, 1877-1981: Remembering Susie. A major research and writing project was a 350 page cultural and genealogical history of my maternal family, A Mennonite Heritage: A Genealogy of the Suderman and Wiens Families, 1800-1975.

Then the Rules Changed is my debut novel. It began with a story I discovered while researching the Heritage book. I originally intended to write the book for my children, but life intervened, and they grew to adulthood. The story patiently waited until the early 2020s pandemic gave me a long writing retreat, and I completed the book for new generations. The book is written as middle grade, historical fiction, but it has readers from nine (or less) to ninety (or more).

Carolyn Zeisset