Carrie Cross is an avid reader who fell in love with books as a little girl after listening to Goodnight Moon at bedtime. Carrie discovered her passion for mysteries while reading Nancy Drew and The Happy Hollisters series--and then Judy Blume arrived with captivating coming-of-age novels like Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret and Deenie.

A dancer since age six, Cross took three years of ballet and nine years of jazz dance, until a horrific car accident at age eighteen put her in the hospital for five weeks with a broken neck and hip, and severe head trauma resulting in coma. After a year of rehabilitation, she returned to California State University Northridge, earning a degree in speech communication. During college, Carrie pursued a modeling career and was a note-taker and sign language interpreter for the hearing-impaired.

Cross's influences include YA authors Deb Caletti, Kara Thomas, and Sarah Dessen, as well as Robert Crais and Lee Child. She lives in Southern California with her graphic-designer husband, Ed (creator of the Skylar Robbins book covers: www.mental-ward.com), and their affectionate rescue cats, Tiki and Kona. When she isn’t writing, Carrie enjoys boating, cooking, trying new restaurants, and visiting faraway islands. Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of the Island Idol is her fifth book.

Follow Carrie on social media at authorcarriecross, and visit her website for Skylar Robbins news: www.carrie-cross.com.