Juliet Marillier was born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is a graduate of the University of Otago and has had a varied career that included music teaching and performing. She now lives in a historic cottage in Western Australia. Juliet's historical fantasy novels and short stories are published internationally and have won numerous awards, including five Aurealis Awards, four Sir Julius Vogel Awards, the American Library Association's Alex Award, and the Sara Douglass Book Series Award. She is the author of twenty-four novels, including the Blackthorn & Grim series, the Sevenwaters series, and most recently the Warrior Bards series, well as two collections of short fiction. Juliet loves mythology, folklore and strong, complex characters. Juliet is a member of the druid order OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.) When not writing, she is kept busy by a small crew of rescue dogs.