With a BA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, Christie Maurer lives on the Monterey Bay area with her husband and two cats. She belongs to Broad Universe for women writing science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and is the newsletter editor for Monterey Bay Fiction Writers. Her novel first chapter, "Masquerade," won first prize in the 2004 Win-Win Conference Persie contest. Her alternative fairytales and a ghost story have also been published. "The Whitewood Kitarra," introduces her troubadour hero, Sir Loriano of Vayne, to the Karaskan court.