John Smith wrote five books in the Hugs series. In addition to "Hugs for Mom, "he authored "Hugs for Dad", "Hugs to Encourage and Inspire", " Hugs for the Hurting", ""and" Hugs for the Holidays. "He has been a preacher and teacher for more than forty years and taught public school at the junior and senior high level; he also taught at the college and university level. He is an in-demand speaker for graduations, as well as for athletic, education, and fund raising events. He and his wife, Kila, live in Huntsville, Alabama, and his three adult children are scattered about the country.