Author of When Leonard Lost His Spots, Monique Costa is the creator of Le Poème Shoppe, where she writes personalized gifts of poetry, interpreted for clients. She is also the founder of The Coach Wags Memorial Foundation, a charity that raises money for patients fighting pediatric cancer. Costa has a degree in journalism and has worked in the advertising and marketing industries for the last twenty years. The Philadelphia native lives in Mullica Hill, New Jersey with her husband Frank, her two young sons, Frankie and Nicolas.