Spontaneous Combustion

Bobby Hutchinson

Bobby Hutchinson was born in small town, interior British Columbia. Her father was an underground coal-miner, her mother, a housewife, and both were storytellers. Learning to read was the most significant event in her early life.

Bobbie married young and had three sons; the middle child was deaf, and he taught her patience. After twelve years, she divorced and worked at various odd jobs, directing traffic around construction sites; daycaring challenged children; and selling fabric, by the pound, at a remnant store.

Following this, she mortgaged her house and bought the remnant store. Accompanied by her sewing machine, she began to sew one dress a day. The dresses sold, but the fabric did not, so she hired four seamstresses and turned the old remnant store into a boutique.

After twelve successful years, Bobbie sold the business and decided to run a marathon. Training was a huge bore, so she made up a story, about Pheiddipedes, the first marathoner, as she ran. She copied it down and sent it to Chatelaine Magazine's, short story contest, won first prize, and became a writer.

Bobbie remarried and divorced again, writing all the while. Today, she has thirty-five published books, and, currently, is working on three or four more. She has four enchanting grandchildren and lives alone. Bobbie runs, swims, does yoga, meditates and likes this quote by Dolly Parton: "Decide who you are, and then do it on purpose."