The Author

D.J. Hughes was born and raised in Collingwood Ontario and attended CCI as a student.

Having started her career in the food industry in 1976 while in high school, she loved the industry and became an Entrepreneur in 1991 when she and her husband opened their first restaurant.

While running a 150 seat restaurant, DJ finished her Masters Degree and developed a homeless shelter system in her home town. She served as a counsellor to many homeless women, children and youth for 12 years, taught life skills, ran many workshops and career coached many homeless people to get jobs. She used her skills as a writer to successfully write grants needed for the homeless and jobless.

She went on to teach Social Work at the local college and wrote a curriculum for case management to give students basic skills to assist families in need.

During this time realized her dream of writing. During her life she been a caregiver for many people, adopted and taken care of many animals, including her beloved Menchi and dedicated her skills to providing a home for her mother and mother – in – law in their aging years.

During a trip to Mexico, D.J. started to write the Menchi Series and has not stopped writing since. She is writing children’s books, fictional stories, educational books and an autobiography.