A relative newcomer to the literary world, Johanna Gedraitis published her first novel only this past November. Her training, strangely enough, has been mostly in the visual arts, having received her BFA in painting from Fort Hays State University. She has shown her works in Hays, Wichita, and Topeka, where she can truthfully say she has sold more than Van Gough did in his lifetime. Beyond that, the most you can say for her artistic talent is that it allows her to paint her own book covers. Meanwhile, her novel, Facilitators, has garnered plenty of friendly feedback and positive reviews. She just might have found her niche at last!

Though she currently resides in Kansas City, in a neighbourhood once known as “Possum Trot,” Johanna does have roots in Michigan. She grew up in Lansing; spending her summers in Flint, where her father was Associate Producer for the Star Theatre. Her theatrical background has aided her in public readings, although it is also responsible for a tendency to hum show tunes.

When she's not writing or painting, you can usually find her enjoying a pint while watching a soccer game.