Linda Smith has previously published three novels with Coteau: The Minstrel's Daughter, Talisa's Song, and The Weathermage. Together, these titles make up the "Tales of Three Lands" trilogy, a series that acted as a prequel to Smith's previous "The Freyan Trilogy", published by Thistledown Press. She also published several children's pictures books, and poetry and short fiction in literary periodicals.Both Talisa's Song and The Minstrel's Daughter were finalists in the British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta Young Readers Choice Awards. Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Linda earned a B.A. with distinction from the University of Calgary. She then moved on to the University of Alberta, where she earned a Library Science degree. She also attained her Masters in Children's Literature from the Centre for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College in Boston, Massachussetts. Linda went on to work in Saskatoon, Nova Scotia and Boston. From 1984, she made her home in Grande Prairie, Alberta, where she worked as a children's librarian, and eventually wrote full time.Linda passed away in August, 2007