Linzi Glass is a dynamo teeming with energy, creativity and a keen social awareness. An accomplished writer, entrepreneur, businesswoman, philanthropist, and single mother, Ms. Glass embodies the best attributes of today's modern woman - multi-faceted, compassionate and truly talented. Linzi co-founded a successful online clothing business, sizeappeal.com, with her sister, Caron, has published many articles and poems, and now her lyrically written debut novel, The Year the Gypsies Came is poised to be a runaway hit and critical darling.

Linzi grew up in a white liberal home in Johannesburg, South Africa during the reign of apartheid. Her father was an educator and decided to move the family out of the country when she was twelve because he could no longer tolerate living in a country where he did not agree with the politics. Soon after the family headed to England, but after her father suffered a heart attack, they returned to South Africa, and later immigrated to the United States where they settled in Los Angeles. Linzi was writing poetry and short stories by then and she got her first taste of success as a writer when some of her poems were published.

While continuing to write, Linzi pursued a career in the entertainment industry handling motion picture and television rights for books for a major talent and literary agency. She became very involved in the UCLA Extension Writers Program and wrote children's stories for a time.

During this time, Linzi was married to Marvin Katz, an entertainment lawyer, and took on the role of stepmother to three children. When her youngest stepson was diagnosed with leukemia, she quit work and dedicated the next year to caring for him. Unfortunately, he was unable to beat the disease. Soon after Jeffrey died, Linzi welcomed her daughter Jordan into the world.

She and her husband began a charity called, "The Jeffrey Katz Bone Marrow Transplant Fund for Children" that to date has helped hundreds of children all over the world who have needed funding for transplants or ancillary costs.

Linzi continued writing articles, plays, screenplays and short stories - and had a number of articles published. It was late one night when a short story named "Gypsies" came to her, and "simply poured out." Her writing teacher at the time, Barbar Abercrombie encouraged her to make the story into a novel, which she finally did; but at the time there no interest so she tucked the manuscript away for close to 8 years.

But her dream of publishing a novel would not die, and so she dusted off her old copy of The Year the Gypsies Came, a stunning, heartfelt novel that, thankfully, made its way out of that bottom drawer with the help of best friend Kathy Jackoway and guiding spirit, Leigh Taylor Young. "I'm in my 40's. Having Gypsies published in the second half of my life is truly a dream come true. For me, Gypsies is all about not giving up on your dream."

Linzi and her teenage daughter, Jordan live in Santa Monica, CA.

.