Renée Thompson was born in Washington and raised in Japan, Georgia, Kansas and California. She has worked as a newspaper columnist and reporter, an executive assistant, and as a volunteer at various national wildlife refuges. An avid birdwatcher and conservationist, Renée lives in northern California with her husband Steve. Her short stories have appeared in Narrative Magazine and Chiron Review, and she has placed in writing competitions sponsored by Glimmer Train and Writer's Digest. THE BRIDGE AT VALENTINE is her first novel.