Mardi grew up on the Mid North Coast of Australia, with big rivers, sun, surf, and sand all within reach. Among Mardi’s greatest loves are watching storms out to sea and sitting on a rock wall, fishing and watching the world go by. She moved inland to study, where the mountains called to her and eventually stole her heart. It’s where she now calls home, along with her partner, two dogs, two cats, and a couple of hundred sheep. Life in the country is never boring, with no two days being the same. Her greatest frustration is that neither she nor anyone else has been able to create the perfect water pump that never breaks down. Easily bored, Mardi is always on the lookout for a new project of some sort or other, including, but not limited to, music, animals, drawing, woodwork, and now writing. When she’s not working full-time, Mardi is also a volunteer firefighter, firefighting instructor, and a member of a local wildlife rescue service looking after orphaned, sick, and injured native animals.
Laurie Eichler holds a degree in natural resources conservation and outdoor recreation. She has worked with animals (wild and domesticated) her entire life, including several years spent in the veterinary field and equine industry at training and breeding facilities in New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast, whose activities include horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, bird-watching, photography, and one of her favorite pastimes, walking with her pack of canines. As a member of WIRES (Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service), she is involved in rescuing and rehabilitating native Australian wildlife in New South Wales.