Jean E. Dvorak is a retired English teacher. An avid horsewoman, she has competed and trained two horses to FEI level in dressage. No longer competing, she still trains her horses and those experiences are evident in the novels where horses play a significant role. " "The Magiskeep Saga" was "born" in 1984 as a response to a challenge from her students when she assigned them a writing assignment: "What would you do if you had a magic power?" Since then, encouragement from a group of gaming fantasy fans on "The Halfwittenberg Door" message board sparked more writing. The result is a total of four full novels and several shorter novelettes in the collection. Ms. Dvorak has also written a number of stage musicals, plays, and vocal musical pieces, all performed in New Jersey where she lives. A fifth novel in the saga is in progress.