Born and raised in the heart of Silicon Valley, I developed an abiding sense of wonder and a fondness for heroic geeks. I entered university a chemistry major intending to become an astronaut who would rocket into a brave new future, and I left (or, rather, never left) with a doctoral degree in rhetoric, a dissertation on James G. Frazer’s twelve-volume encyclopedia of magic, science, and religion, and a job teaching writing at the University of California, Berkeley. My latest novel, Beneath the Skin (published by Venus Ascending), is a SF romance set in a far-future dystopia, exploring the metaphorical beast in every human, even in the handiest of techno-geeks. My latest short story, “Cracked” (published in the anthology Alterna-Teas), is a contemporary fantasy focusing on the unbreakable ties of life-long friendship. When I’m not writing, teaching, or reading, I’m quilting, swimming, or playing boardgames. Or I’m sitting on the couch, eating almond M&Ms and daydreaming about life amongst the stars.