J.L. Odom hails from Oklahoma. After a five year stint in the Marine Corps as an Arabic linguist, she graduated from George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs, focusing on Conflict and Security. She lives with her husband and five children wherever it is that the U.S. Army happens to send them. Her hobbies include running, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and cooking meals for a crowd. Her inspirations are C.S. Lewis and Robin McKinley, war history (and history in general), middle eastern languages, and desert landscapes. She can be found on instagram with the handle @jlodom.author