Victoria Oltarsh is a native New Yorker who grew up playing in Central Park while visiting her grandparents living across the street. Now, a mother and grandmother herself, she feels most comfortable in the delightful company of children. Victoria has spent her thirty-five-year career directing original and classical plays, teaching rapid-fire-Improv, and story theater, presently employed as a teaching artist for NYC and NJ Arts in Ed organizations in NY and NJ. She is a published lyricist on the song, “Lucky Charm,” produced by Grover Washington Jr. on Atlantic Records. Victoria also received an individual artist grant from The Arts Council of Rockland. Her adaptations of classical fairy tales have been performed for students by an adult touring company at school assembly programs. Whether as a teaching artist working for Arts in Ed agencies in underserved NYC public schools, or teaching in private schools, summer programs, and art centers, she loves encouraging children to find their inner voice by expressing themselves through the creative arts. Inspired by the universal wonder of the mystery of looking up at the stars as a child, she is so excited to be a debut author and share her middle-grade space fantasy adventure chapter book, The Boy and the Secret of the Stars, with all.