Simonne Ferguson, a graduate of Trent University, started her career as a federal parole officer, then moved to a job in a maximum security penitentiary where she ran inmate programs. For more than two decades she was an executive manager of Parole Board Canada, administering a large region and working with police agencies and victims organizations to improve information sharing. She was often recruited to investigations when things went wrong. In the final years prior to her retirement Simonne was a Parole Board member, conducting hearings with offenders and making release decisions. She left the criminal justice system after a 38 year career. Simonne enjoyed going to work (almost) every day, and considers herself fortunate to have worked and lived in both Alberta and Ontario, and to have been able to travel much of Canada as a result. 
On retiring Simonne finally had the time to tackle some long awaited projects. Her mother’s (Sheila) story had been brewing for many years but once she started to put it together, it turned out quite differently than she had expected. It took ten years to write, with many stops and starts.
Another retirement goal was to become a potter. Simonne is still working to improve her skills but now has several cupboards of slightly misshapen bowls. A lot of Three Score and Ten was worked out with her hands in clay and her mind on her mother. This was Simonne’s first full length book. She has previously published shorter articles in newspapers and magazines.
Simonne lives in Kingston, Ontario. She was married for almost 50 years to a wonderful man and has three grown children and one grandson.