Alina Rubin is an IT professional and a mom, who, during the pandemic, used the time and energy saved on the commute to write her first book about a nineteenth century adventure about a woman surgeon. Writing became her passion, and her characters took her on a journey beyond her wildest dreams. Alina obtained a B.S. and M.S. in Business and Information Technology from DePaul University. She lives near Chicago with her husband and daughter. When not working or writing, she enjoys yoga, hiking, and traveling. A Girl with a Knife is her debut novel, the first book of the Hearts and Sails series. https://alinarubinauthor.com/home/about/