About the Author

James Wood was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, and grew up in the coal-and-steel mill towns of western Pennsylvania. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in electrical engineering and spent three years in the United States Air Force. After the service, Jim took a job with the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He spent 34 years there, rising to the position of manager/engineering services, before taking early retirement in June 1992. That's when the most exciting part of Jim's life began. That's when he started dance hosting on cruise ships and traveling the world. He says it's not just the wonderful places he's visited that made this life stage so special, but the people he's shared his travels with. When he's not cruising, Jim lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he enjoys dancing, bridge, volunteer work, and spending time with his family; particularly his two granddaughters.