Daphne Benedis-Grab grew up in a small town in upstate New York where Christmas was always her favorite holiday. She is the author of Alive and Well in Prague, New York, a young adult novel. She has worked a variety of jobs including building houses for Habitat for Humanity in Georgia, organizing an after-school tutoring program in San Francisco, and teaching ESL in China. She now lives in New York City with her husband, two kids, and a cat, and still looks forward to celebrating Christmas every year.