M.A. Carrick is the joint pen name of BCS authors Marie Brennan (author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of the Adventures of Mr. Mystic), who together are the authors of the Rook and Rose epic fantasy trilogy, beginning with The Mask of Mirrors and continuing with The Liar’s Knot. The two met in 2000 on an archaeological dig in Wales and Ireland–including a stint in the town of Carrickmacross–and have built their friendship through two decades of anthropology, writing, and gaming. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area.