Karen Sandler grew up in L.A. County’s South Bay, fishing for bonito off the Redondo Beach pier, crunching on sand in her tuna sandwiches, and roasting in the sun until she was lobster-red.

By age 9, she knew she wanted to be a writer without having the slightest notion what that involved. She was practical enough to earn a BA in math & physics and an MS in computer science (hence her love of science fiction), but her software engineering career took a sharp U-turn when she quit to write full-time.

She's the author of numerous novels, screenwriter of a few short films, and now knows exactly what a writer does—tell stories that linger in the hearts of her audience.