Sarah Kennedy was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. A professor of English, she holds a PhD in Renaissance Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing. She is the author of historical fiction set in Tudor England. The Cross and the Crown series begins with The Altarpiece and continues with City of Ladies, The King's Sisters, Queen of Blood, and Worlds End. She is also the author of seven books of poems. When she's not reading mysteries, crime fiction, or historical fiction, Sarah's working in her garden, walking her dog, or experimenting in her kitchen!