Joan was born and reared in southern West Virginia. Her father built the log house in which she was born and her ancestors were among the earliest settlers of the state. She enjoyed a long career in journalism and won many awards along the way. She currently attends Grand Canyon University as an honor student and will graduate in spring 2012 with a BA in History. She writes about growing up in Appalachia in poetry and prose; sometimes humorously and sometimes seriously. She places little slices of life about the funny things she and her siblings experienced growing up in "the good ole days." She lived in Florida for several years and produced a history book based on interviews and photos from descendants of the pioneering families. It is an oral history with plenty of good tales and history.