Maria V. Snyder switched careers from meteorologist to novelist when she began writing the New York Times best-selling Study Series (Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study) about a young woman who becomes a poison taster. Born Pennsylvania, Maria earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Meteorology from Pennsylvania State University. She worked as an environmental meteorologist until boredom and children drove her to write down the stories that have been swirling around in her head. Writing proved to be more enjoyable, and Maria returned to school to earn a Master of Arts degree in writing from Seton Hill University. Unable to part company with Seton Hill’s excellent writing program, Maria is currently a teacher and mentor for the MFA program. However, Maria's meteorological degree did not go to waste, nope, not at all. And to prove it to her parents...er...since she is still fascinated with the weather, she was able to play with the weather while writing her award-winning Glass Series (Storm Glass, Sea Glass, and Spy Glass) about a glass magician who can capture magic inside her glass creations. Maria's environmental experience also did not go to waste. Her tree-hugging...er...concern about the environment comes out in her Insider books (Inside Out and Outside In). Trella's world is completely contained and they must reuse and recycle everything. One thing they got right in one otherwise messed-up, dystopian world! Maria lives with her family and a black cat name Valek (a.k.a. the bug assassin!) in Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on the second book of her Healer Series, Scent of Magic, well...that's what she told her editor ;> Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule.