Elaine Stienon grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and attended the University of Michigan, where she majored in English and American literature. In her senior year she won a Hopwood award (a prize in creative writing) for a collection of short stories. Since that time, she has had stories published in literary magazines such as Phoenix, South, the Cimarron Review, and the Ball State University Forum. In Clouds of Fire is her fourth published novel. She has had a life-long interest in history, especially the history of the early Mormons and the difficulties they experienced on the American frontier. She lives in Glendale, California, where she devotes her time to writing and teaching.