Jeanne Mackin is the author of acclaimed  novels about ground-breaking, fascinating women whose lives intertwine with the political and cultural events of their times. Her novels have ranged from the salons of pre-revolutionary France to the cafes and conspiracies of France between the world wars. Her forthcoming novel, The Last Collection, based on the intense rivalry between  Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, takes the reader into a world of Parisian haute couture and dangerous politics  just before World War II. She has also won awards for journalism and taught writing. She lives with her husband in the Finger Lakes area of New York State.