About the Author

Cynthia Bardes and her husband, David, spend each fall at a Beverly Hills hotel with their toy poodle, Pansy. Inspiration for the Pansy stories was born out of random misfortune. One day, when crossing Wilshire Boulevard, Cynthia was struck by a car. Her injuries required surgery and a lengthy recuperation at the hotel. While bedridden, Cynthia's 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, and now Pansy in Venice. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Cynthia is a former dress designer and interior decorator. When not in Los Angeles, Cynthia, 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 and two poodles in Eden, Vermont and Vero Beach, Florida.