Cynthia Van Auken was born September of 1989 in Washington State. She is the second of eight children raised in a homeschooling Air Force Family.  Always on the move, Cynthia's closest friends were her brothers and sister, with whom she shared imaginary adventures.  As a child, she loved to read fairytales, one of her favorites was Beauty and the Beast.  Even as an adult, she loves to find different versions of the classic.  Some other favorite books are: Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory's To Light a Candle, Jeffrey Overstreet's Auralia's Colors, Steven Lawhead's Tuck, as well as books by Eoin Colfer, Ursula K. Le Guin, Robin McKinley, Christopher Paolini, Donita K. Paul, J. K. Rowling, and J. R. R. Tolkien. In 2003, while living in Arizona, Cynthia saw Lord of the Rings for the first time and was inspired to write a book with two other friends.  However, when she moved to Phoenix, Cynthia realized it was time to start writing her own novel.  Over seven years the story bloomed into Adder's Bite: The Prince.  Late 2009, the final draft was complete and ready to be sent to publishers.  In February 2010, Black Rose Writing accepted the book for publication.  Working with Reagan Rothe, the process was quick and painless, going from final draft to first edition book.  The Prince was released on August 5, 2010. Cynthia currently lives with her husband in Ohio, where she is writing part two in the series.