M. A. Carrick is the joint pen name of Marie Brennan (author of The Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of The Adventures of Mr. Mystic). The two met in 2000 on an archeological 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.