Annie Palmer: Author

While Annie Palmer of East Sandwich was growing up in Farmington, Maine, she sought adventure exploring the outdoors or in the pages of books. Always a voracious reader, she was drawn to books such as Huckleberry Finn and the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. She wrote The Cape Cod Witch and the Pirate's Treasure with a specific person, her granddaughter, Amelia, in mind. The book describes the adventures of Elsbeth Amelia Thistle, Cape Cod's youngest witch, and her mischievous cat, Sylvanas.

Palmer, a retired environmental engineer, writes under the pen name "J. Bean Palmer" and hopes to make reading especially fun for youngsters. She is already busy working on the second book in the series and continues to spread her message to youngsters and adults alike.

Committed to preserving the natural beauty of Cape Cod, she says. "We have to take care of Cape Cod. It's so unbelievably beautiful but it needs to be protected."

Having grown up in what she describes as a more practical, pragmatic time, Palmer believes in the importance of being open to possibility. "We're all so oriented toward fact," she says. "But there is magic in the world and I think people are becoming more open to it."