Barbara and Hal have been married for over 30 years and both have enjoyed writing-only they have done so separately. Hal, who is a former English teacher and counselor, has written A Dream Within A Dream and, also, Braving the Shadows; and Barbara, who is a psychologist and corporate consultant, has written a number of professional books including My Mother was Right! The Balanced Life, Brief Therapy and Eating Disorders, to mention few.
Although their most acclaimed joint effort was a play produced recently called Farewell to Rosegate, they agree that Dexter, their first collaborative work, was a true labor of love; and although it lay dormant for many years, they felt that this was the time to bring Dexter and Irma to life. Somehow the state of current times seemed to awaken the passion they both felt for the struggles the human condition and our Western culture imposes upon us.
Their son, Casey Ryan, for whom the book was first written when he was just 7 years old, is a Vice-President and Senior Portfolio Manager for Howe & Rusling, and lives in Syracuse, New York, with his wife, Peggy.