Leslie Compton began writing Dearest Minnie twenty years ago after discovering a large section of her postcard collection, inherited from her Grandfather’s cousin, originated from a sailor on the USS Virginia. A longtime lover of American history, she quickly became fascinated with this major event. She spent years researching, visiting libraries and museums up and down the east and west coasts, and meeting like minds on the internet to create this strong narrative-driven historical fiction which brings to light a typical sailor’s life during Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet cruise of sixteen battleships around the world in 1907-1909.
This story chronicles not only the cruise itself, but the social and political elements of that time in each port where the ships re-coaled. It is told through over 200 picture postcards and letters vividly portraying this world event sent from the sailor to his sweetheart eventually leading to his proposal of marriage. Leslie’s years of research, the colored postcards and the actual words written by the sailor creates a fresh approach to this subject.
Most of Leslie’s adult life was spent as a professional musician while teaching elementary school, music, childbirth education and/or memoir writing. She loves to share and bring new insights to others and her books provide a path for that.
  Besides writing, attending writing conferences and facilitating a writing critique group, Leslie both teaches and attends OLLI classes at SOU, Ashland. When time allows you will find her with a book in hand, working with fabric art or quilting for kids in need and always making sure her humming bird feeder is full.
Leslie has lived in Southern Oregon for the last fifteen years and enjoys the many walking trails available in her area. She has two wonderful, talented grown sons living outside of Oregon and she is currently working on her fourth book.