Steven Harper lives in Ypsilanti, Mich., with his wife and son. He teaches English in Walled Lake, Mich., and he is appalled that the school requires him to teach Romeo and Juliet, which contains horrifying violence and shocking dirty jokes. His students think he’s hysterical, which isn’t the same as thinking he’s hilarious. He is the creator of the Silent Empire series for Roc Books, including Dreamer, Nightmare and Trickster. Currently, he’s working on Offspring, the fourth book. His books were nominated twice for the Spectrum Award. Visit his Web page at www.sff.net/people/spiziks.