Ashley Oliphant has spent the last 20 years searching the eastern seaboard for shark teeth. She has a Ph.D. in 20th-century American literature and serves as an associate professor of English at Pfeiffer University. A lifelong North Carolinian, a dedicated auto-racing enthusiast, and a vocal animal welfare advocate, she lives with her husband and son in Denver, N.C. She looks forward to one day retiring to a comfortable beach chair in Key West.