Petra Britton was born in Germany, living in a very small and quaint town on the Mosel River. She immigrated with her mother and stepfather to Florida in the late '60s. Today she is retired from teaching and shares her time between Arkansas and Florida. She still maintains strong ties to her German family and friends, which led to the creation of this wonderful character of Florian the Fly. He, like the author, loves to travel, experience new languages and cultures, and make new friends.
Grateful for life's simple pleasures, adventures here and abroad, and a small cabin set in the beautiful woods of Arkansas, Petra laughs heartily and frequently; gets together with some amazing women of the Ozarks, and simply doesn't slow down. A Master Naturalist, member of the Easy Pick-Ups Clean Road Crew (roadside trash pick-up group she founded with a friend), Board Member of a Condo in South Florida, and a baker and cook whose circle of friends has increased as a direct result of those two activities, she is experiencing the joys of a full life.
Her family is a very important ingredient in her pursuit of happiness and adventures. Germany, particularly Reil, will always be the place where she longs to spend more time. Her cousins, Jürgen and Inge see to it that she always drinks the best Mosel wines, eats the most delicious Reiler cuisine, and hikes through the hills featuring vineyards and woods, exploring castles and cathedrals, and at the end of the day, spending time in ages-old cellars!
Married for 40+ years to a giant of a man (7'1" tall) named Les, life has been quite humorous at times. Imagine riding on a Harley behind Les - can't see where you're riding, but you never get a bug caught between your teeth! Petra's daughter, Pella, is a delight, and a source of immense pride. Although Pella grew up in the States, she spent 10 years in Germany, first in culinary school, and then working at various hotels and restaurants. As Petra lost her mother several years ago, it is such a joy to speak German with her daughter. The ability to retain the German language was something gifted to her by her mother, Hedi. It was she who insisted on German being spoken at home and visiting the family in Reil frequently.
Petra's first story ever to be published is the first adventure tale of the tiny fly named Florian. Written in English and German, it is partially based on her experiences as an immigrant, realizing right away how difficult it is, but how important it is as well, to assimilate into a new country's culture and language.
Next in the Florian series is a thrilling adventure set in South Florida and Cuba. It is written in Spanish and English. It features the butterfly species, whose image is found on the postage stamp of Cuba. It also introduces young readers to the 2022 Mollusk of the Year, the critically endangered Cuban Painted Snail.
Enjoy the stories, and continue to follow along as Florian travels around the globe, always encountering animal species in need of his help. Each story is always written in English and in the language of the country to which Florian travels.
Petra invites you to stay in touch. Please feel free to contact her with questions and/or comments.