Nel Rand is the author of Mississippi Flyway, her first novel.
She was born on December 16th, 1936 in St. Louis, Missouri, and lived a stone's throw from the Mississippi River, in St. Louis, and small towns in southern Illinois, and western Kentucky until she was twenty-one. She says of the Mississippi, "I am a tributary of the river and carry its muddy water inside of me. It is what keeps my heart pumping."

She holds a BA degree in painting from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, and a Masters degree in Art Therapy from Vermont College of Norwich University.

She has been a studio painter and a fiber artist for fifty years, exhibiting across the United States, including Manhattan. She won the State of Oregon Fellowship award for Art in 1995. Nel has led many workshops on helping people find their own creative way.

Nel has two grown children. Until recently she lived in a cabin in the woods with two dogs and three cats. Her writing desk overlooked giant Douglas Fir trees, and elk, deer and coyotes were never far from her door.

Nel now lives in a small community with only one dog. She writes in her home in front of big windows that look out on a backyard garden, and a family of eagles that have come to nest in a nearby treetop.

She is currently working on hr second novel, The Burning Jacket, as well as a collection of short stories. Several stories from this collection are available to download and read. on amazon.com.