Mariely Lares is the Mexican-American author of Sun of Blood and Ruin. Born in the only hospital of a small town in Southern California--which, fun fact, is also Cher's birthplace--she grew up straddling two worlds, crossing the border almost every day. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering and lives in San Diego, where she can be found doing all the outdoorsy things, rescuing dogs, and writing her next book.