Alan Blackwood is the author of numerous books and features on music, including a biography of the famous British conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham. More recently he has turned his skills to writing fiction. Many of his very short stories (or flash fiction) have already appeared in print. He is also completing his first novel. About the artist: Seattle-based artist Clare Johnson, who has provided the illustration for the cover of this book, studied art in the United States and in Europe. Her work, striking both to the eye and to the imagination, has made her a major new talent in the world of art and design.