Born in Indonesia of French parents, Sophie Masson was sent to live with her paternal grandmother in Toulouse, France, when she was just a baby and lived there till she was nearly five, when her parents came back from Indonesia and took her to Australia. All the rest of her childhood, the family stayed in Australia, with frequent trips back to France, and this dual heritage underpins a good deal of Sophie's work. Sophie's first book appeared in 1990 and since then she has published more than sixty novels, mainly for children and young adults, but with several for adults as well. her books have been published in Australia, the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and many other countries. She has also had many short stories and articles published in newspapers, magazines, and online journals. She is a regular contributor to the writing blog Writer Unboxed(www.writerunboxed.com)Sophie Masson lives in the high, cool New England tableland area of Northern New South Wales, Australia, with her husband. She has three grown-up children and one little grandson. She holds a BA and M.Litt in French and English literature, and is on the Board of the Australian Society of Authors, the New England Writers' Centre, and the committee of the New England and North West sub-branch of the Children's Book Council of NSW. Sophie's website is at www.sophiemasson.orgShe has a writing blog at www.firebirdfeathers.com