Collins, Jennifer: - Jennifer Collins, PT, EdD, MPA, is a retired physical therapist and college professor whose career spanned more than forty years. She held many titles during those years, but "Mom" was the one that brought her the most joy and pride. While working in her profession, her close-knit family was the center of her universe. Comfort in the Wings, her debut novel, emerged from the author's own devastating experiences. While still mourning her mother's death from cancer, two of Collins's children suddenly, unimaginably died within months of each other. A short time later, her only sibling and father died. She struggled to hold on to and make sense of an existence that had been gutted. Overcome with her own loss, she found herself in awe at the outpouring of stories from other parents who had lost children. A drive to make her own experiences and those from others openly spoken of became a compelling force for moving forward.Ultimately, writing provided a lifeline. She pens both fiction and non-fiction, particularly giving voice not only to surviving loss, but to thriving while grieving. She considers it a privilege to now be running a family business alongside her eldest son. She splits her time between her long-time family home on twelve acres in upstate New York and her condominium on a barrier island in Florida.