Amy Pendino is a Minnesota native. A former middle school teacher, her days are spent with horses, coffee and words. Past fodder-producing occupations include playing keyboards and singing for a local band, waitressing, working as a secretary in a college athletic department and a bank, and singing back up (once) for an international star. She horseback rides a new mountain range every summer. A member of the Twin Cities chapter of Sisters in Crime, her writing has been published in anthologies, several magazines and reviews. "The Witness Tree", her first published novel, won 3 indie writing awards: an IPPY gold for "best regional fiction", a silver Ben Franklin for "best new voice, fiction", and a finalist award from the Midwest Book Awards. For more information, please visit amypendino.com .