Mable Elizabeth Gates was born and raised in Mississippi; The fifth of Lela & Charlie Myrick's seven children. She and her husband, Duncan, have a grown son named Tony. Mable loves to write, garden, cook/bake, and serve the community through her church. Lela Rast Hartsaw is an author, speaker, and historic preservationist who was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. As Mable Gates' great-niece, Lela was proud to help publish the stories of her namesake, Lela Myrick. Lela and Mike Hartsaw have two school-aged children, Emily (the book's illustrator) and David.