Karen Yvonne Hamilton is the author of Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades, the story of her pioneer ancestors, chronicling her journey through research, interviews, field trips, and all the frustrations and triumphs that go with historical and genealogical research. The book follows Hamilton's slave ancestors from Savannah, Georgia to the swamps of the Ten Thousand Islands, in the heart of the Florida Everglades. Along the way she uncovers secrets and stories, polygamy, bootlegging, fist fights, murders, gangsters, killers, and tales of tomahawks and missing school teachers. Hamilton holds a BA in English and an MEd in Education, and taught high school and college prep English for 20 years before retiring in 2023. She now enjoys helping others write their family histories.