Michèle Israel is the author of Lessons of the Heart and the biography Out of Darkness—A Testament of Love, Endurance, and Survival. She was raised in suburban New Jersey but lande...view moreMichèle Israel is the author of Lessons of the Heart and the biography Out of Darkness—A Testament of Love, Endurance, and Survival. She was raised in suburban New Jersey but landed in the south, where she worked 32 years for the State of Tennessee and followed her passion for writing. She began her studies with the Institute of Children’s Literature in West Redding, Connecticut, and teaches group fitness for the YMCA.view less