Laurel Anne Hill is the author of "Heroes Arise" (2007, KOMENAR Publishing), a parable about breaking the cycle of vengeance, about reaching into our personal darkness and finding the light of reason. ForeWord Magazine selected "Heroes Arise" for a Book of the Year Award (2007 bronze award, science fiction category) and as a finalist in the young adult category. "Heroes Arise" also was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, young adult and best cover design categories. In 2008, KOMENAR Publishing released "Heroes Arise" in trade paper with cover endorsements by Jean M. Auel, Robert J. Sawyer and Kim Stanley Robinson.Laurel's shorter fantasy/science fiction has been published in a variety of venues, most recently in the anthologies "How Beer Saved the World, "A Bard in the Hand," "Horrible Disasters," "Fault Zone," "Shanghai Steam," "Spells and Swashbucklers," "The Wickeds," "A Bard's Eye View," and "Rum and Runestones." Her writing has also appeared in Nth Zine, Lynx Eye, Space and Time, the Contra Costa Times, AOL News, the San Jose Mercury News and a variety of small-circulation magazines. KQED-FM (NPR, San Francisco) broadcast her perspective in 2004 about the plight of homeless families. Several of her podcasted stories have been broadcast by HorrorAddicts.net, and HorrorAddicts.net fans voted her Most Wicked 2011 for her steampunk/horror podcast: "Flight of Destiny."She also has her own podcast: Welcome to my Bedroom Closet, which may be reached through iTunes or www.laurelannehill.com.In 2005, Laurel was awarded first prize in the Ninth Annual Captivating Beginnings Short Story Contest. She received an honorable mention in the 2004 Soul-Making Literary Competition, an extended community arts outreach program of the National League of American Pen Women, Nob Hill, San Francisco Bay Area Branch.Laurel is a member of California Writers Club, Wicked Women Writers, Broad Universe and Women Writing the West. She enjoys talking to young writers about breathing life into their writing. Her current writing projects include a novel-length fantasy set in early California.Laurel Anne Hill grew up in San Francisco, with more dreams of adventure than good sense or money. Her close brushes with death, love of family, respect for honor and belief in a higher power continue to influence her writing and life. She earned B.A and M.S. degrees in Biology and worked for 40 years in the pharmaceutical/health care industry. She lives in California with her husband, David, and their affectionate 100-pound werewolf.Visit her website and podcast site at www.laurelannehill.com.