Adam Stem­ple (www​.adamstem​ple​.com) is an author, musi­cian, web design­er, and pro­fes­sion­al card play­er. He has writ­ten eight nov­els, includ­ing Pay the Piper (with Jane Yolen), win­ner of the 2006 Locus Award win­ner for Best Young Adult Book. Of his debut solo nov­el, Singer of Souls, Anne McCaf­frey said, ​“One of the best first nov­els I have ever read.” Stem­ple lives in Min­neapo­lis, Minnesota.