Cynthia Bardes's inspiration for the Pansy Mystery Series was born out of random misfortune. One day, when crossing Wilshire Boulevard, Bardes was struck by a car. Her injuries required surgery and a lengthy recuperation at the hotel. While bedridden, her vivid imagination and Pansy's popularity with employees and guests of the hotel made for a perfect story. Pansy at the Palace was followed by Pansy in Paris, Pansy in Venice, Pansy in New York and now Pansy in London. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Bardes is a former dress designer and interior decorator. When not in Los Angeles, she, her husband, and Pansy live in Vero Beach, Florida. Virginia Best is an artist whose paintings and photographs have been exhibited nationally. She lives with her husband in Eden, Vermont.