Marie Lawson Fiala, born in Europe, came to the United States as a child. Her first language was Czech, and she learned English only after starting grade school. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with Distinction from Stanford University, her Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School, and her Master of Fine Arts in Writing from the University of San Francisco. Ms. Fiala is a full-tie practicing attorney and a partner in an international law firm, specializing in complex commercial litigation. Letters From a Distant Shore was released in 2010.