Hester Mundis, a TV comedy writer, performer, and former book editor, is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including Heart Songs for Animal Lovers; 101 Ways to Avoid Reincarnation, or Getting It Right the First Time; and the autobiographical No, He's Not a Monkey, He's an Ape and He's My Son. (Her personal ark has also embraced dogs, cats, iguanas, fish, birds, a goat, and a guinea pig.) She is the mother of two sons, Shep and Jesse, and lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, Ron VanWarmer. They currently share their home with a large, long dog and a nosy, noisy cockatiel.