GERRI BRIGHTWELL is the author of the novels Dead of Winter, The Dark Lantern, and Cold Country, as well as many short stories. She has master's degrees in creative writing from the University of East Anglia and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and a doctorate in English form the University of Minnesota. Originally from southwest Britain, Brightwell has worked in Greece, Israel, Spain, Thailand, and Canada, and now lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, with her spouse, Ian C. Esslemont, and their three sons.