Natalie Standiford was born in Baltimore, Maryland, where her family has deep roots. Her most recent YA novels, HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT and CONFESSIONS OF THE SULLIVAN SISTERS are set in Baltimore, and her next book, a middle grade novel called THE SECRET TREE, takes place in Catonsville, just outside the city. She studied Russian Language and Literature at Brown and now lives in New York City, where she plays bass in the all-YA-author band Tiger Beat. You can learn more about Natalie at www.nataliestandiford.com.