In 2006, Laura Szkutak née Irizarry published the research book Once Upon Charles Dickens.  What began as a dreaded senior thesis assignment turned into an insightful look into the inner dealings of Dickens' mind and the formative fairy tale structure of his works.  The manuscript was picked up by PublishAmerica and then bought by Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Borders and other major bookstores.

In 2007, Michael and Laura met up for their first date at a TGI Fridays and their first conversation is still going strong today! Both are teachers and graduates of Canisius College, and the two started to realize that they shared a passion for literature.  Michael had read many of the books that Laura taught as an English teacher and Michael, as a Math teacher, was able to calculate the tip.  It was a perfect first date!

As their relationship grew, so developed a shared passion for education and writing and they began talking about ways to use Laura's book, Once Upon Charles Dickens, in the classroom.  They decided to create this site for novices and experts to use as an educational resource and teaching tool. 

Once Upon Charles Dickens became a teaching tool for Laura in her twelfth grade honors course and Michael started to see that the book could easily translate as an educational resource in the collegiate level as well. 

As Buffalo area teachers, in the suburban and urban regions, respectively, Michael and Laura have pretty much seen it all in terms of human relations.  They started to write a fictional novel and are set to publish it in the upcoming year.  This site features a glimpse of the future with an excerpt from this exciting publication entitled, Happiness Lies Within.