Alexandra Hayne

Alexandra Hayne was born and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated from Van Nuys High School at sixteen, left home, and promptly flunked out of UCLA. A year later, a little older and maybe a little wiser, she returned to college, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in English from California State University Northridge and a master's degree in journalism from UC Berkeley. An award-winning journalist, she worked for thirty-five years as a reporter and editor in print and online news media in California, Nebraska, and Iowa. She is the mother of three and grandmother of four. When she is not writing, reading, or spending time with friends and family, she can often be found listening to live blues at one of the many fine dive bars in Omaha, Nebraska, where she lives. WHAT RUTH LEARNED is her first novel. Her second novel is a work in progress.