E.L. Bates is a writer located on the north shore of Massachusetts. A storyteller from the time she could talk, as soon as she learned to write she began putting her stories down on paper and inflicting them on the general public. Stories of magic and derring-do have been her favorites from almost as young. She is a firm believer in Lloyd Alexander’s maxim that "fantasy is not an escape from reality; it is a way of understanding reality." Also, it’s a lot of fun both to write and to read. With two children at home, most of her time these days is spent in writing living epistles. Between those and the pen-and-ink stories, there isn’t much time for anything else, but when she gets the chance, she enjoys quilting, reading, and hiking in the beautiful mountains of New England. You can find out more about E.L. Bates via her website, www.stardancepress.com.