When I sat down to write my first novel, I had no idea there would be a monkey in the book. But I remembered the age-old advice, "Write what you know." At the time, I was studying primatology at Cal State Fullerton, working part-time observing orangutans at the Los Angeles Zoo, and volunteering on weekends as a chimpanzee caregiver at a wildlife sanctuary. So what I knew was apes and monkeys. Before long, Holly, the protagonist of Monkey Love, became the babysitter of a mischievous monkey. My childhood ambition to study chimpanzees in Africa with Jane Goodall eventually gave way to "more realistic" goals of becoming either an actress or a writer. At thirteen, I moved with my family to Venice, Florida, and was accepted into the Sarasota Visual and Performing Arts Center at Booker High School. After graduation, I moved to New York City, where I studied acting and worked a series of odd jobs while awaiting my "big break"--which never came. Eventually I moved to Los Angeles and turned my attention to writing and editing. I've worked in the publishing industry for nearly 15 years, including stints as an editor of pop-culture books, and assistant managing editor for a medical publisher. I've written everything from books and magazine articles to DVD liner notes, movie reviews, and encyclopedia entries. And I've abridged over 100 books for audio, by a diverse range of authors including Al Gore, Stephen J. Cannell, Edith Wharton, Mary Kay Andrews, Fern Michaels, and Janet Evanovich. My career came full circle in 2004, when I became director of publications for the Los Angeles Zoo. Being able to combine my love of writing with my passion for animals has been a dream come true. And you can bet that animals will figure prominently into the plot of my next novel!