Writer Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on January 16, 1946. He received training as a newspaper reporter and edited the British men's magazine Mayfair. At the age of 24, he was the executive editor of Penthouse and Penthouse Forum. During this time, he started writing sex how-to books. In 1976, he published is first horror novel The Manitou and has written over thirty-five more over the years. He has received numerous awards including a Special Edgar by the Mystery Writers of America for Charnel House, a Silver Medal by the West Coast Review of Books for Mirror, and the Prix Julia Verlanger for Family Portrait. He has also written four collections of short stories and is the author of the Rook series. He currently lives with his wife in Cork, Ireland.