Julie Lacksonen grew up in Minnesota, but disliking cold weather, after earning a music degree at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, she moved to Arizona. She has been teaching music for nearly 40 years at Dr. Daniel Bright School in Cottonwood, AZ. She enjoys playing flute and piccolo in the Cottonwood Community Band and playing piano, organ, and singing at Faith Lutheran Church. Being an avid reader, especially of fantasy and sci fi, she decided to write this series to combine these interests, also including musical elements throughout.