If you ask Tracy Nickels what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would of course say, she always wanted to be a writer.  From as early as she can remember, Ms. Nickels has always loved to write stories, poetry and songs. For her ninth birthday Tracy’s mother gave her an Elvis Presley record.  From that point on, she would “write” songs for Elvis to record and sing to her. Of course her songs never left the ranch and were never heard on the radio.

Tracy grew up in rural South Dakota where she attended LaRouche, the same one-room country schoolhouse her father attended approximately 33 years earlier. There were two students in Tracy’s class and only eight in the entire school. Unlike some modern schools of today that have automatic faucets and toilets, the LaRouche School had a well with a pump and a two-seat outhouse. The country school had no electricity. Heat was generated by a wood-burning stove. Above two chalk boards hung the alphabet prominently displayed on a paper poster.

Tracy wrote poetry and short stories for class and received enough encouragement that she was spurred on to tell more stories; written or verbal.  As it is with most writers, it was with Ms. Nickels too, that she did not pursue her writing adventures beyond her own personal satisfaction for quite some time. She has kept her many writings in drawers and boxes through the years.  Ms. Nickels continues to fill several boxes with all kinds of papers, napkins, checks and grocery store receipts that contain poems, songs, notes and stories written and scribbled on them. To her, the convoluted assortment is organized. She hopes she lives long enough to publish and share her works.  Tracy hopes that Dancing Wheat and The Dance Continues will take you to a place you have never experienced or to a place you have always wanted to return to.

Ms. Nickels has three cats: Miss Kitty, Erma and Patsy; two dogs: Norman and Charlie. She also has a passion for the game of golf. If Tracy were good enough, her second profession would be golfing to make a living. Ms. Nickels has shared her life with Nick since 1983. After spending 22 years in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, they returned to Tracy’s home state of South Dakota in 2002.