Maren Ferguson

Maren Ferguson is the "sweet" alter ego of USA TODAY bestselling author Suzie O'Connell, who is best known for her Northstar series.

Though she is a self-professed mountain-loving nerd, she has a fair amount of salt water in her veins, courtesy of her "salty dog" grandfather, and once in a while, she gets to craving the crashing ocean surf. It was during one of these episodes that the Sea Glass Cove series was conceived.

Suzie has been writing stories for as long as she can remember, and it shouldn't come as any surprise that her first story, written (and illustrated) way back in second grade, was about the mouse who went to the sea.

When she isn't writing, you'll probably find her in the mountains with a camera in hand and enjoying the beauty of Montana with her husband Mark, their daughter Maddie, and their golden retriever Reilly. You might even find her--on her rare trips to the coast--getting in touch with her inner pirate. Just kidding. Sort of.

Find out more about Maren and her books at marenferguson.com