Tammy Winand is a writer, photographer and artist who currently resides in Chicago, IL. Born and raised in south central Pennsylvania, her passion for travel and other cultures has led her to live in 7 US states and 4 countries, from the Grand Canyon of Arizona to the Himalayan foothills of north India. Her fiction, mixed genre (fictionalized memoir), memoir, and poetry draws upon these travels for setting and mood. Her journalism regarding Tibetan exile communities has appeared on CNN, vetted from her Dharamsala iReports, and in The Tibet Post international. Tammy recounts attending teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his exile home of McleodGanj, India as among the most uplifting and life changing events in her unconventional life. Tammy also happens to love tea, cats, and chocolate.