Barbara R. Geisler is an author and retired librarian whose lifelong career surrounded by books eventually led her to create her own expansive literary worlds. With a background in library science, she possesses a researcher's eye for detail, which she applies to the rich world-building found in The Averillan Chronicles. Her writing is deeply influenced by her interest in Church history, mythology, and the "big questions" of faith and power. In Other Gods, she explores the tension between ancient religious structures and the individuals caught within them, a theme she approaches with both intellectual rigor and a sense of high adventure. Geisler's work is characterized by its moral complexity and its focus on the "ordinary" hero tasked with extraordinary burdens. When she isn't mapping out the continents of Averilla or tracing the lineages of its deities, she is a dedicated student of history and an active member of the literary community. She resides in the United States, where she is currently working on the subsequent volumes of her epic series.