Theresa’s one of those voracious readers who grew up with her nose in a book and the desire to write her own. That took some time, as she spent years telling people where to go as a full-time travel writer before making it happen when she was 47 (because you’re never too old to start). That book, *Turkeys are Jerks and Other Observations from an American Road Trip*, lit a long-dormant fire, and she’s continued to write and publish travel books at a rapid pace ever since. She still wanted to write novels, though, and after a breast cancer gut punch, decided at age 51 not to wait any more. Alex Paige sprung out of her head, Athena-like, and hasn’t left her alone since. When Theresa’s not telling people where to go or being told by Alex and friends what to write, she’s reading (of course), learning, cooking, figuring out how to spend as much time outside as possible, or annoying her husband. And sometimes, all of the above.