Blast from the Past - Guess the Author

Last month we started a new feature here at the Craftie Ladies called Blast from the Past and we introduced you to our newest Craftie Lady, Lisa Jordan. You can read that post here.

This month, we're going to play a little game. The first reader to correctly guess this month's author will receive a copy of said author's April Love Inspired release.

Are you ready?

Here's your clue:

This current Love Inspired author grew up in Omaha, Nebraska.  Here she is at age six.  The hairs the same, sorta, except there's more gray now. This author loves animals. This is the first one she remembers.  His name is Tiny, and he's a chihuahua.  She used to dress him up in doll clothes and push him around in a doll buggy. True story.  When this author was about five, her mother said, "We're getting a puppy, and you get to name him."  This author, at the time, loved Pop-Eye the Sailor Man cartoons.  This author picked the name Sissy.  This author never wanted to be a sissy, but liked the sound of the name.  Mother said, "Hmm, I don't really like that name.  How about we name the puppy Tiny."  Too obedient by far, this author simply nodded.  No surprise, the dog wound up belonging more to the mother than the daughter :)  Not so true for the cats, rabbits, Guinea pigs, birds, and hamsters that came later.  Today, she's the proud owner of a seven-toed cat named Tyre. 

Do you know who this is? Leave your guess in the comments to be entered in the contest.

Good luck!