Brian M. Talgo, an ex-pat New Yorker, has been writing since childhood. His first book, the semi-autobiographical The Beauregarde Affair, was published by PfoxChase in 2011; his writing has otherwise appeared in various anthologies published in Norway and abroad. Brian was a founding member and lyricist of the now-defunct Norwegian prog-rock collective Gentle Knife. He has since continued to work in a solo capacity, composing electronic and ambient music.<br> <br>Inspired by his Norwegian roots, his youthful fascination for Vikings and the Norse gods eventually led him to the classic Icelandic Sagas, from which he has drawn upon while seeking to recreate the Old Norse atmosphere in The Salt of Ancient Tears.<br> <br>Brian relocated from the US to Norway in 1981. He currently lives on the outskirts of Oslo together with his family, three insolent cats, amidst a veritable jungle of house plants. Educated as a vegetation ecologist, he has been working at the University of Oslo’s central administration since 2008. He is also known to be very fond of mosses.<br>