Ali Brandon is the national bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series. Under her own name, Diane A.S. Stuckart, she is also the author of the Leonardo da Vinci Mysteries, as well as several acclaimed historical romances and numerous works of short fiction under the names Alexa Smart and Anna Gerard. Born in the West Texas town of Lubbock, she earned her degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. She now lives in South Florida with her husband, Gerry, and a menagerie that includes their two orange tabby boys, Butch and Sundance.