About Joanne Belgrave

Joanne Belgrave was born in Barbados and came to Canada in 1971. She is the mother of three and a proud grandmother of five. Joanne is an Early Childhood Educator. She ran her own daycare from her home for over 20 years and has volunteered in the community through her church, Bramalea Free Methodist Church. Joanne enjoys writing poems, reading stories to children and her own grandkids.

While working at my own daycare center one day, I was watching this little girl. She was playing with her friends for a little while. Then out of the blue she got up and went over to her brother, got his hand pulled him up and he followed her without a word. 

I watched them for a while, she just wanted him to play with her and he did. Even though he was playing with something else, she was more important.  Or was she?  I just thought to myself, “she just manipulated him into doing what she wanted and he just went along with it”.

I sat down and started to write my story. Just then from that. Oh, that little girl has her brother wrapped around her little finger maybe she can do that with mom and dad too?

That’s how “Chloe’s Secret Hiding Place” got started.

About Katya Raissa

Katya Raissa ( Katie) Gironne was born in Brampton Ontario
and grew up in Eastern Ontario. Her love of story-telling and
the visual arts started at a young age. She graduated from
Houghton College in NY State with a degree that included
studies in equestrian science, art, literature, and music. Kate
is an accomplished painter and artist using primarily oil, pencils
and ink, both in her own and commissioned work for a variety of
subject matters and styles.