Rev. Larry L. Hintz is a retired Lutheran Pastor living with his wife, Faye, in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. After 37 years in the ministry, he discovered he enjoyed writing and was encouraged to delve into the non-religious genre. With this encouragement, the Iowa Gem Series was created of which Emerald is the first novel.
He grew up in and around Pomeroy, a small town in north central Iowa. The setting in this series is a fictional town based on many characteristics of Pomeroy. While all the characters are fictional, the layout of the area is closely associated with his hometown.