Lou Kuenzler was raised on a remote farm on the edge of Dartmoor, before moving to Northern Ireland to study theatre.

She went on to work professionally as a theatre director, university lecturer and workshop leader in communities, schools and colleges, before turning her hand to writing a few years ago.

Shadow Snatcher is her second title for A & C Black.

Born in the wild and windy north, Nicola began her career as an usher, but life by the big screen was too heady and too fast. Instead, she chose to study Illustration in Buckinghamshire, where she developed a passion for children's books that far surpassed her love of popcorn.

She has since had books published here and in the United States, which include Best Friends, Spot a Lot, and Leaping Lemmings. Nicola lives with her family in Cheshire, close to the local cinema where she likes to occasionally lurk in the foyer.