Linda Gainey Smock

Linda’s childhood dream was to be a teacher when she grew up; as a teenager, she added writer to her goals. She achieved both at an early age, has authored textbooks and ancillary materials for teachers and students, and has written devotional books for adults. In 2023, she accepted the challenge of turning an essay about honey bees into a children’s book. This sparked a new interest and she has continued to educate with fun and interactive children’s books. Adults often say they learn from her books. As a retired educator, Linda still loves to teach. You may find her leading exercise classes for seniors, speaking about nature and plants at public libraries, or leading groups in Bible study. She uses her leadership abilities to help senior citizens in assisted living facilities have fun with holidays. She does all of this while fighting a slow-growing form of leukemia that has made her very immunocompromised. Linda is a Chipola Junior College graduate with both undergraduate and master’s degrees from Florida State University. She later attended the University of South Florida for certification in Administration/Supervision. Her certification as a Master Gardener is from the University of Florida.