Sarah-Jane Stratford was born in the Garden State and spent her formative years in the City of Angels, where she developed a lifelong love of theatre. At the tender age of three, like so many obsessed little girls before her, Sarah-Jane danced around the living room to show tunes and acted out plays for anyone – human or stuffed animal – who would watch. Fortunately, her deep love and respect for the theatre forced her to acknowledge that her energies were better spent telling stories than acting them out.

Sarah-Jane earned a master’s degree in medieval history at the University of York in England, where she wrote a thesis about women in the manorial court system which gave her a new appreciation for the modern era. She fell in love with the UK and tried to stay, but through a comedy of mishaps, ended up back in Los Angeles, where she spent several years writing screenplays. One of her favorites, The Tale of the Torturer’s Daughter, placed high in several contests and got her an agent. A lively comedy about medieval torture, romance, and good hair, it was a tonal mix of The Princess Bride and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

When Sarah-Jane relocated to New York City, she shifted her writing focus from Hollywood-centric screenplays to long-form fiction and stage plays. Vampires and historical fiction had been long-term interests of hers, but the characters in The Midnight Guardian came fully formed of their own accord. Brigit, Eamon, Mors, and the other heroic bloodsuckers knew who they were and what they wanted, and they were pretty relentless about making it happen. Sarah-Jane allowed for further outside influence – certain (fictional and non) souls, in particular – but for the most part, writing The Midnight Guardian was a very immediate experience.

In addition to writing the next set of millennial adventures, Sarah-Jane is also working on two stage plays and is open to any offers that involve theatre or travel. Or interest.