Flying an eight hour solo cross-country in a Piper Arrow with only the airplane's crackling radio and a large bag of M&M's for company, Sylvie Kurtz realized a pilot's life wasn't for her. The stories zooming in and out of her head proved more entertaining than the flight itself. Not a quitter, she finished her pilot's course, earning her commercial license and instrument rating.

Since, then, she's traded in her pilot's license for a keyboard, where she lets her imagination soar to create fictional adventures that explore the power of love and the thrill of suspense.

Her love of the outdoors led her to take a 10-week natural resources course in early 2000 and she is now a tree steward. Recently, she's undertaken the task of going through the Backyard Tree Farm Program sponsored by the University of New Hampshire Co-operative Extension.

She can be contacted at: P.O. Box 702, Milford, NH 03055. Visit her web site at: http://www.sylviekurtz.com/ for more information on current, upcoming, or past releases.