William Mark Simmons is the author of five novels. His first,_In The Net of Dreams, was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award and made the_Locus_"Best" list in 1991. That novel, with its two sequels,When Dreams Collide_and the new novel_The Woman of His Dreams, have recently been published in one hardcover volume by Meisha Merlin Publishing. For Baen he wrote the popular and critically praised_One Foot in the Grave, to which_Dead on My Feet_is a sequel. Simmons has worked as a teacher, actor, director, musician, and entertainer, hosting his own shows on both television and radio while winning awards as a journalist and copywriter. He currently manages a public radio station in Louisiana, and hosts a classical music program.