Arora, Krishma Tuli: - Krishma immigrated to the United States from India when she was five years old, and like Mira, the protagonist in her novel, grew up on Long Island and then attended NYU. She is a poet, writer, and public speaker. For a few years, she was the author of "Free Spirit," a monthly column in her hometown magazine, Brookville Living. She has an MS in Education, as well as an MS in Marketing. She has also worked as a high school social studies teacher for 11 years. She lives in New York with her husband and four children. She began writing From Ash to Ashes seventeen years ago, after the death of her first child. His loss was the inspiration for her book, and she has dedicated it to his memory. In addition to From Ash to Ashes, she is also writing a nonfiction book, titled Brown Girl's Guide, a collection of essays on womanhood and motherhood as seen through the eyes of a woman of color.