The Bastard

About the Author It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak�s career as a bestselling author�she caught her day-care provider drugging her children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day. That was when Brenda decided she needed to quit her job as a loan officer and help make a living from home. �When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,� Brenda says. But she sold that book, and the rest is history. Her novels have made the New York Times, USA Today and Borders/Waldenbooks bestseller lists and won many awards, including two Rita nominations, the Book Buyer�s Best, the Book Seller�s Best and the National Reader�s Choice Award. Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are proud parents of five children�three girls and two boys. When she�s not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fund-raiser for diabetes research�an online auction held on her Web site (www.brendanovak.com) every May. Brenda has raised over $1 million to date.