Tess Eagle Swan was raised in a small Hertfordshire village. Tess found her life full of challenges but she eventually found the inner strength to leave her chaotic London lifestyle and go to Peru, where, after learning about the ancient healing cultures, she set out on a path which would lead her to Kratu.


Tess had always struggled with communication but it wasn't until she was fifty-four that, with Kratu by her side, she was formally diagnosed with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). For the past nine years, Tess has devoted her life to training Kratu, and her other dogs whilst also raising awareness of animal welfare issues and autism-related causes. She supports the cross-parliamentary group APDAWG and her and Kratu are ambassadors for Anna Kennedy online, an autism charity.

Lynne Barrett-Lee was born and raised in London and is now based in Cardiff, Wales. She has been a full time author since the mid-1990s and has ten novels to her name, as well as two guides to writing fiction, which she teaches in her spare time. She has been the ghostwriter behind many non-fiction memoirs including the bestselling Fabulous Finn.