Deborah Winchell was inspired to write about Rocky while interviewing a former lighthouse keeper for an article in Lake Superior Magazine. The man revealed that a dog lived on Rock of Ages in the 1970s. Deborah has camped, paddled, and hiked all along the North Shore and Keweenaw Peninsula of Lake Superior, including Isle Royale National Park. She retired from Cornell University and serves on the board of Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society. She's been a freelance writer for over 20 years, writes for Boreal Community Media out of Grand Marais, MN, and runs women's retreats. Her most valuable contribution to society is her children and grandchildren. She lives on a lake in northern Minnesota.

Renée Andriani's illustrations have appeared in numerous picture books and on cards for Hallmark's Shoebox Greetings line. An avid Isle Royal National Park hiker and backpacker, she been fortunate to have been a part of the Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society's restoration teams and has worked on the lighthouse for two seasons - her specialties are scraping paint and stripping wood! Having worked on (and slept in) the lighthouse itself was not only a unique and exciting experience, but invaluable inspiration for creating images that depict the lighthouse, its interiors, and "The Big Lake."

A native of Connecticut, she lives in Kansas with her husband and two big dogs and tries to visit the Lake Superior region whenever possible.