S.P. O'Farrell wrote "Simone LaFray and the Chocolatiers' Ball" over the course of two and a half years, after a particularly inspiring bowl of bouillabaisse on a family vacation. The majority was written after all were tucked in, the lights were low, and the mind was free to wander. Mr. O'Farrell lives in the northeastern United States with his wife Emily, sons Patrick and Michael, and their ever-dozing Labrador, Scout.