Lee Swanson has enjoyed a lifelong interest in medieval history, a passion that has found an outlet in the historical fiction novels he writes. He lived in Germany and England for over twenty-five years, first as a soldier and then as a teacher. Awarded a master's degree in European History summa cum laude from the University of North Florida, his thesis centered on the Hansa, a confederation of merchants from primarily northern German cities. Many of the colorful characters who populate his novels are drawn from the lives of these resolute wayfarers who traveled the waterways of Europe in search of profit and prestige.Lee, his wife Karine, and their dog Banjo now split their time between Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.