The author writes under the nom de plume, Charlie Courtland.  She graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in English Literature with an emphasis on creative writing, and a minor in Criminology.  She was born in Michigan and currently resides in the Seattle area with her husband and two children. Her most notable influences are writers Henry Miller and Flannery O'Connor.   She has a particular interest in historical fiction that is shrouded by a mythological secrecy,  but does write stories in other fictional genres.  She loves a good mystery and is intrigued by the bizarre, paranormal and just plain strange.