Charis Cotter is an award-winning writer and storyteller who has worked extensively in schools telling Newfoundland ghost stories and encouraging students to collect local ghost stories from their communities. She is the author of several acclaimed novels for young readers, including The Swallow; The Painting; and The Ghost Road; as well as the illustrated storybooks The Ferryland Visitor and Footsteps in Bay de Verde. She lives in Western Bay, one of the most haunted communities in Newfoundland.