Lou Baudelaire was born in the small Australian seaside town of Byron Bay. Always an avid reader, her love for writing stories began ten years ago when she found a creative outlet writing in between (and admittedly, sometimes during) university tutes and lectures. Though she is a cardiac physiologist in the STEM field now, she initially studied PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics), where she became fascinated with strategy and developed a keen interest in examining foreign policy, conflict, and diplomacy through a feminist lens. This influence has deeply shaped her approach not only to life but to her writing and underpins her passions for women’s issues, history and mythology. Her favourite books meld the magical and mystical with the subversion of societal archetypes. She is particularly drawn to the lush escapism of the fantasy genre and enjoys romantic stories about women that challenge patriarchal norms, offer new cultural perspectives and feature gothic and dark themes. When she’s not studying the heart, researching or writing, she can be found reading books that feature gorgeous villains, rummaging through antique stores and trying her best to appear as though she knows what she’s doing at Pilates. She currently resides in the countryside of sunny Queensland.