Laurel Anne Hill was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She lived there until she was 28 years old. More about Laurel: “Laurel Anne Hill, a scientist, underground storage tanker operator, and an award-winning novelist and short-story writer, grew up in San Francisco with dreams of adventure. Her close brushes with death, love of family, respect for honor, and a belief in a higher power continue to influence her writing life. She has published three novels and served as Editor-in-Chief for three literary anthologies, and as prose editor or proofreading editor for three others. ForeWord Magazine selected Heroes Arise for a Book of the Year Award, Bronze, Sci-Fi. The Engine Woman’s Light received the Independent Press Award (steampunk category) and a Kirkus star. Kirkus Reviews included this gripping spirits-meet-steampunk novel on its list of the best 100 indie books and top six indie teen. Chanticleer Reviews awarded The Engine Woman’s Light its Ozma Fantasy (First in Category) and Dante Rossetti YA Semi-Finalist Book Awards. Plague of Flies: Revolt of the Spirits, 1846, also received many awards, including the Independent Press Distinguished Favorite (Silver) Award and the Ozma Fantasy Fiction Grand Prize Award. Her other books include anthologies she has edited or assisted in editing, including: Fault Zone: Detachment; Fault Zone: Reverse; Fault Zone: Strike Slip; Fault Zone: Uplift; Fault Zone: Transform; and Fault Zone: Diverge. She was not involved with editing the Shanghai Steam anthology, but was invited to write a story for it and one of the editors was later nominated for Canada’s coveted Aurora Award. Additional literary honors and awards for her books include National Indie Excellence Awards, San Francisco Book Festival Science Fiction Winner and Young Adult Runner-Up, American Bookfest, Winner in Fantasy Category, and Readers Favorite Book Award, Fantasy. Laurel’s shorter fiction and creative nonfiction, some of which won awards, have been published in: Clockwork Wonderland, Once Upon a Scream, Horror Addicts Guide to Life, Fault Zone, How Beer Saved the World, Shanghai Steam, Tales of Fortannis, The Wickeds, Horrible Disasters, Spells and Swashbucklers, Rum and Runestones, Nth Zine, Lynx Eye, Space and Time, and a variety of journalistic media and small circulation fanzines. She is a member of CWC San Francisco Peninsula Branch and served on their executive board for five years. She also is a member of Broad Universe, Wicked Women Writers and Women Writing the West (where she served as secretary for two years).”