RON VICK Sr. (1960-2016), originally an automotive mechanic from Wyoming and various other states, changed careers in the early 90s and became a counselor. After earning a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A.E. in Mental Health Counseling from Chadron State College, he moved with his wife Janet and two children to northeast Nebraska. He lived in Wayne, Nebraska where he worked at Wayne State College for the last thirteen years as a counselor, academic advisor, and international student advisor. In his spare time, he developed websites (ronvick.com) and wrote science fiction and fantasy and the occasional academic article for publication. He had three articles published in the peer-reviewed journals of the Nebraska Counselor, the Journal of Counseling and Values, and the Journal of College Counseling. During his tenure at WSC he had taken several writing classes and served as the advisor for the WSC Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, which hosts an annual convention in the spring called WillyCon (willycon.com). Vick had won a couple of local writing contests associated with WillyCon, and sold one story titled “For Love of Humanity Not” that is online at AfterburnSF. Much of his writing is centered on locations in Nebraska and the names of his characters often are associated with one or more of his five grandchildren. Jeweled Fragments, a collection of short stories, was his first published book.