Ted Bell is the New York Times bestselling author of Nick of Time and The Time Pirate, as well as the bestselling Alexander Hawke series. For many years he was a leading talent in advertising, and won numerous Clios and Cannes Gold Lions and the Cannes Grand Prix. He began his advertising career as a copy-writer at Doyle Dane Bernbach in the 1970s. In 1991, he joined Young & Rubicam, one of the world's largest advertising agencies, as Vice-Chairman of the board and World-Wide Creative Director. Bell retired from advertising in 2001 to write full-time. He lives in Florida and Colorado.