Nina Preuss brings three decades of sailing experience to her debut novel, but her path to the open ocean was anything but conventional.

After a twenty-year career working with scientific researchers from around the world, serving as Program Manager and Principal Investigator on projects spanning the NIH, SAMHSA, the Executive Office of the President, OMB, and the Department of Treasury, Nina exchanged government corridors for open water. This leap of faith, from a life built on data and structure to one shaped by wind and tide, flows through the core of her storytelling.

From early days on Chesapeake Bay to co-captaining a thirty-day Pacific crossing, her journey parallels her protagonist’s evolution from coastal sailor to ocean navigator. After years of mastering progressively challenging waters across the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and the Pacific, she earned her USCG 100 Ton Master license with pride, expanding her expertise from weekend cruising to the complex demands of a 4,000-mile ocean passage.

She blends genuine maritime knowledge with a deep understanding of how life at sea transforms both skills and relationships, and how the courage to change course can redefine who you are.

When not writing or maintaining her sailboat’s systems, she mentors the next generation of neuroscience researchers, drawing on her career to guide young professionals navigating their own uncharted waters. She also shares passage-planning, saltwater fishing, and boat selection and maintenance wisdom with fellow cruisers and aspiring sailors.

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