Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day, pastries will be considered a health food.

Find ST on Twitter @stbende, her blog, or send her an e-mail. While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr -- when he's not saving the cosmos from dark elves, he loves meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.