She lives with her husband Tim, their old dog, Rosie and Buddy Boy the cat. In her job as a medical social worker she wrote newsletter articles and patient education manuals.Gretchen is married. The Idiot Cookbook: The Complete Cookbook for the Complete Idiot was an unpublished work patterned after Peg Bracken’s I Hate To Cookbook. She wrote her first book when she was seventeen. Trained as a medical social worker, Gretchen worked on an organ transplant team in Denver, Colorado.Her interest in writing came early. She went to college at the University of Oregon and went on to graduate school at Arizona State University. Originally from Portland, Oregon Gretchen Preston is one of five children. You have a totally blind character in your second book, what motivated you to create Winslow the blind professor?.How does your low vision contribute to your books?.How do you keep organized at book signings and sales events?.Writing for vision impaired readers - what should people know?.

Your books are beautifully illustrated share with us how a blind author produces such a nicely illustrated book.

Educate us about your visual problem and the assistive technology you use to write your books.She shared with us some important aspects of her work life and success including: Legally blind since the fifth grade she writes her books on a laptop computer equipped with talking software.

Volkman spoke with self-published author and entrepreneur Gretchen Preston about the challenges and opportunities of living every day as a legally blind, visually-impaired person. Gretchen Preston is a children’s book author who lives near Marquette, Michigan.

Valley Cats by Gretchen Preston