Jennifer Ward in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona with her husband, daughter, two crazy dogs, one mischievous cat, a tortoise, a fish, two newts and several large king snakes. Jennifer was born in California but raised in Illinois, and calls both the desert and the Midwest home.

Jennifer’s book The Seed and the Giant Saguaro, a southwestern twist on “The House That Jack Built,” was a 2003 Southwest Book of the Year award winner. Her other titles include Somewhere in the Ocean, Way Out in the Desert, and Over in the Garden.