Linda S. Cunningham grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana,  where she experienced firsthand accounts of the 1957 Hurricane Audrey that killed nearly 500 people in Cameron, Louisiana. She and her family watched the devastation from their picture window when the hurricane hit. Her father served as Director of Civil defense for Calcasieu Parish and she heard many survival stories and saw the coroner's pictures that lend authenticity to the novel. Ms. Cunningham has a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of Houston. She also has a B.S. and M.Ed. in Health and Physical Education from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She has won awards for screenwriting. She currently resides in Kingwood, Texas.