"I'm Israeli, I study for a Ph.D. in linguistics (a loyal reader may check what the names in the story mean). I write in English and in Russian, and I had poetry and prose published in small press magazines. I write mostly sci-fi and fantasy. Ailurophobia is an exception (it was fun to write, though, so I may do it again). Yes, I do have a black cat, whose affections I share with my parents (her name is Aksi)."