Heather Preusser is originally from Portland, Maine, far, far away from Gimmelwald, Switzerland. Her sister-in-law's adventures on a Swiss dairy farm inspired Elfi's story. Heather Preusser earned a BA in English and art history from Williams College, an MA in education from the University of Colorado, and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine. She is currently working on several picture books and novels for young readers. When not writing, Heather teaches high school English, bikes the European countryside, and attempts to learn ridiculously long German words. She and her husband reside in Colorado.