Frank Nissen grew up in the heart of the gold country, roaming the hills and canyons through which the American river flows. Though this is his debut novel, he's been a lifelong storyteller. Frank started writing and illustrating comics in middle school. He went on to work in animation for over forty years doing visual and story development for projects such as Mulan, Dinosaur, Treasure Planet and Tarzan. After retiring from Disney Studios, he returned to the landscape that inspired this novel and is focusing on his writing career. He currently serves as president of Gold Country Writers. He is also a member of the Placer County Historical Society, which is a rich source of the kind of arcane knowledge he loves weaving into his stories.