[3] Her father, Ray "R.J." Dahl, worked at Boeing and won $6 million in the Washington State Lottery in 1993.
[3] In 1972, she enlisted in the United States Army and served as a medical technologist.
[3] After serving in the military, Wood attended Northern Illinois University.
[3] She worked as a special education teacher[7] and taught marine science and horseback riding.
[5] The book tells the story of a mildly intellectually disabled man named Peter Crandall who wins the Washington State Lottery.