Kirsten Holmstedt is a graduate of Drake University's School of Journalism and the University of North Carolina Wilmington's master of fine arts program. She has been writer-in-residence at the College of William and Mary and currently teaches writing at a community college. Her previous books are the highly acclaimed Band of Sisters and The Girls Come Marching Home. She has appeared on PBS, the BBC, and C-SPAN, among other TV and radio programs. As an expert on and advocate for female service members, she has testified before Congress and spoken to countless businesses and colleges around the country. She lives in Connecticut.