It has been said that in this life we often start out writing one book and end up with quite another. That is certainly true of Ann Hauprich. Although her byline has accompanied more than a thousand articles and essays in regional and national periodicals across the USA and Canada, Ann originally had designs on a career as a commercial artist.

    “I guess you could say the portfolio that once contained works of art is now filled with words of art,” muses Ann, who decided to switch college majors after several essays describing her experiences as a Rotary International exchange student were published in a small weekly newspaper serving her hometown near Saratoga Springs, New York.

    The literary tapestry Ann has woven over the past quarter century includes threads spun from interviews with such celebrated personalities as Andy Rooney and David Hyde Pierce. In addition, Ann -- who founded Saratoga Living Magazine in 1998 and served as its editor and publisher until 2004 -- has drawn readers into the lives of legions of lesser known, but nonetheless fascinating, individuals.

    “I learned early on in my first job as a general assignment reporter at The Canadian Champion in the 1970s that every person has a story if you just take the time to listen,” says Ann. “I was intrigued to discover that seemingly ordinary people were often doing rather extraordinary things with their lives.”

    Subsequent staff writing and editing positions in the Toronto area (including serving as News Editor of The Oakville Beaver in the early 1980s) only served to reinforce Ann’s desire to polish her skills as a wordsmith. “A blank sheet of typing paper became the canvas . . . key strokes replaced brush stokes.”

    By the late 1980s, Ann had earned awards in publication categories ranging from Best Editorial to Best Feature Article to Best Front Page Design. She also served for several years on the Journalism Advisory Committee of her beloved Alma Mater, Sheridan College of Applied Arts & Technology.

    A new chapter in her life began after the demands of motherhood led Ann to launch a career as a communications consultant. Working primarily from a home-based office, Ann became a columnist and feature writer for Today’s Parent (Canada’s national parenting magazine) and a public relations consultant for the Halton Regional Children’s Aid Society (a division of the Ontario Ministry of Community & Social Services). The latter position required that Ann host a monthly cable TV program called “CAS Cares” as well as writing media releases, editing newsletters and assisting with a host of innovative community outreach projects designed to boost awareness of child abuse and neglect issues.

    Ann also tackled several projects for a division of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food. These included creating “Quest for Success” (a career planning workshop for 4-H members and their leaders) and some literary endeavors linked to the province’s then ground-breaking “Agriculture In The Classroom” program.

    Wanting her children to grow up closer to their grandparents and what seemed like cousins by the dozens, Ann (who is one of ten children) decided to move back to the Saratoga Region at the dawn of the 1990s. This time she chose to freelance from home and soon had bylines in such publications as Adirondack Life, Bluegrass Unlimited, GRIT: American Life & Traditions, New York Thoroughbred, Writer’s Digest and Women’s Circle. Ann also gave workshops in which participants received a copy of Marketing Your Words of Art -- a motivational workbook she wrote for freelance writers who are serious about getting published.

    Ann subsequently welcomed a third baby and began penning what would become the opening chapters of Deadlines, Headlines & Porcupines: The Laugh Lines Behind the Bylines. The writing of the book's final chapters was put on hold after the tiny magazine Ann started from a spare bedroom in her home (originally called Saratoga County Living: The magazine that showcases the faces behind the places) grew from a hobby to a full-time job. “By the time I sold the magazine in 2004, I had worn the hats not only of an editor and a publisher, but also of an advertising director, a circulation manager and everything in between. That left precious little time for what I loved most about the business: writing. I missed being a full-time writer more than words can say.”

    These days Ann draws inspiration for stories and essays from a broad variety of sources. She hopes the resulting collection will warm hearts, lift spirits, and tickle funny bones.

    While researching and writing a book in conjunction with the Village of Ballston Spa, NY's Bicentennial in 2007 (Ballston Spa: The Way We Were, The Way We Are), Ann happened on the idea for a third title (Ballston Spa: Legacies Unlimited) AND a new business: LEGACIES UNLIMITED. The learn more, please visit www.LegaciesUnlimited.us.