Ricard, Kathleen: - Kathleen Ricard is a wannabe writer of both fiction and nonfiction. Born and raised in Thompson, Manitoba, she discovered her passion for storytelling amid the rugged beauty of the North. She later settled on a small farm in southeast Saskatchewan, where she raised a family and, at last count, over a billion leaf-cutter bees. A self-declared Senior Bee Specialist, she balances farm life with her love of travel, ensuring her handsome husband gets away from the farm at least once a year to relax.After a long career with the provincial government, Kathleen retired to focus on writing. She is the recipient of the 1992 Iona Weenusk Award. The Deafening Sound of Sorrow is her debut book.