Meg Brinkley has a B.A. in both Theatre and English from Fontbonne College, and an M.A. in English from Western Illinois University.  When she's not chasing after her three sons, or working at her job for a publishing company, she performs at the Royal Dumpe Dinner Theatre on Laclede's Landing with her husband, Chuck.  Meg's hobbies include reading, yoga, baking, reading, puns, and did we mention, reading?  And for some reason, lately, she's become addicted to playing with swords...

Captain Holly Temperance Rogers, (emphasis on the "Temper") was born in Falmouth, England.  According to her mother, an Irishwoman from Cobh, her father was lost at sea before Holly was born.  They lived in a room over her grandfather's book shop. It was clear early on that Holly had piratical leanings.  She would pilfer books from her grandfather's shop at night.  And during the days, she'd run around the docks dressed as a boy, and pick pockets on dares. Her early life probably also accounts for her abominable sense of humor - she adores low puns.

After her mother and grandfather died when the book shop caught fire, Holly was left penniless.  So keeping her boy disguise, she got herself a job as a powder monkey on the first ship that would have her, which turned out to be a British privateer.  She survived to make cabin boy.  Unfortunately, at 17, it was becoming much harder to disguise her sex, and the Captain soon discovered her.  When he threatened her with exposure, Holly lost her famous temper and killed the Captain in a duel.  As it turned out, nearly half the crew were women in disguise, and they, either impressed with Holly's fighting, or scared of making her angry, voted her Captain.  She's been living a life of profitable piracy ever since.