Dr. Danette Rene´ Vines was born on September 11, in 1956, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the daughter of Dr. Donald H. and Dolores Marie Crosby Vines. She grew up as an Army military brat on the bases of Ft. Lewis, Presidio, Ft. Ord and Ft. Bragg. Her father is now a retired Colonel who served in Vietnam and Desert Storm.
She received her doctorate in Organic Chemistry from Iowa State University, and a BS in Chemistry from McNeese State University. While at McNeese, Dr. Vines studied and maintained a 3.98/4.0 and graduated Summa Cum Laude. During that time, Danette would often sit for her grandfather, a retired minister, reading the bible to him, as his eyes became weak with age. She is an extremely patriotic, talented, intelligent, beautiful, athletic, conservative and compassionate woman. She is the mother of Nicole Lynn Atack and Floyd Lane Cooper, III (4/1/1976-1/23/03).
On September 11, 2001, Dr. Vines was working in New York when the Twin Towers fall, and the Pentagon was damaged and partially destroyed due to enemy attack on America’s soil. Many Americans died that day, and Dr. Vines, as did all Americans, wept.
Then, in 2003 within a 4 month period, Danette lost two of the most important people in her life, her only son, a National Guard soldier, and her brother and dearest friend in life.
After these catastrophic and life-changing events, D.R. Vines left the pharmaceutical industry, where she worked both in Germany and the US, and returned to her home town of Lake Charles, LA. She is currently employed as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at McNeese State University.
This book is a collection of poems that D. R. Vines wrote, throughout the past three years. Most of the poems were written, at midnight, 2 am or 3 am in the morning, when during deep despair, she would awaken and these words would be in her heart and mind. In the morning as she usually did, she would call her father and read them to him with tears as she wept.
Today, three years later after so many Americans have given the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan, and so many other people are suffering this same deep despair, the despair of loss of a child, brother, mother or friend, Dr. Vines decided to publish the collection in hopes that others will find comfort in the mourning.
To those who by persistence in doing good, seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life- Romans 2:7
