Sabaa Tahir grew up in California s Mojave Desert at her family s eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother s comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Asheswhile working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.