Written by…

A.L. Burns is a therapist in Southwest Virginia who provides services to children, adolescents, and families. Burns holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Radford University, and is a licensed professional counselor. She has been employed by DePaul Community Resources for the last five years and is the regional manager of community-based services. Burns is always looking for new and useful ways to provide resources for the individuals and families to whom she provides services, and “A Goat’s Tale” grew out of that effort. Burns has always been interested in writing and storytelling and has won National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) every year since 2012, where writers are challenged to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Burns has been employed as adjunct faculty in the psychology department at Emory & Henry College, and currently teaches psychology for elite learning, a company providing college credit for high school students throughout the region via their local community college. She is also a foster parent with Intercept Youth Services, and resides in Smyth County, Virginia with her husband Dave and two tiny dogs.

Illustrated by…

Julianne Orr is a recent high school graduate who will soon be attending Old Dominion University as a marine biology major. She spends her time making award-winning art pieces and caring for her family’s many rescue cats. Julianne won first place at the Smyth County Art Show and Best in Show at the Hungry Mother Arts and Crafts Festival. Julianne plans to make an impact on environmental conservation and fight for animal rights while continuing her education.