Dwayne Anthony Smith is the author of the Squirrelly McNut book series. He resides with his wonderful wife, Lauri, and their several rescued dogs. Dwayne graduated from Topeka-Tilton High School in Jayess, Mississippi, but he is originally from south Louisiana where he went to Jean Lafitte Elementary School. Yep, it was named after the pirate. Do you

know what a pirate's favorite letter of the alphabet is? It's "RRR!"

Growing up on the bayou, his grandfather, Henry Vinet, always made sure he had interesting pets, like turtles, baby alligators, and neutral rats, which are basically swamp rats with two big orange front teeth. Oh, he had dogs too... Hey, do you know what a gator's favorite shoes are? You guessed it, crocs!

Dwayne's father-in-law, Bill Crumm, Arizona fast-pitch softball Hall of Famer who won the world championships in 1970 and 1974, has also been a huge source of inspiration for him. This all-around great dad instilled in him the credibility, strong work ethic, and values he has today.