PATRICIA HONEYCUTT CANTOR is a native North Carolinian who currently resides in New York City. She and her husband first fell in love with St. Maarten/St. Martin more than 25 years ago while on vacation. After decades of annual visits, they bought a home in the French Lowlands seven years ago, and now divide their time among New York; Pike County, Pa.; and the island. Cantor is a marketing/public relations consultant with clients in fashion, home furnishing, travel and financial services. She also loves travel, cooking, gardening, interior design and writing.

J. KEVIN FOLTZ is the staff photographer for HCP/Aboard Publishing. An artist-in-residence at ArtCenter/South Florida on Miami Beach, Foltz travels extensively throughout the Caribbean, shooting photography for American Eagle Latitudes, Experience St. Maarten/St. Martin, Experience St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Experience the British Virgin Islands, among other publications. An award-winning photographer, his culinary, lifestyle and destination images capture the unique beauty of this island paradise.

JUDY H. FITZPATRICK is a Guyana-born journalist who writes for The Daily Herald in St. Maarten. She is also a stringer for the Associated Press and writes regularly for Caribbean Beat, SheCaribbean and several other regional publications. A 2008 Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) and Kaiser fellow, this mother of a 9-year-old has picked up nine awards — seven from the U.N. — during her career, which began in her native Guyana.

MONTAGUE KOBBE is a German citizen with a Shakespearean name, born in Caracas. For the past decade he has sought the perfect balance between literature and life, residing at different times in Bristol, Leeds, London and Munich. He has had close ties to Anguilla for over 25 years, splitting much of his time between The Rock and Madrid since 2008. He maintains a regular literary column in the Weekender supplement of Sint Maarten's The Daily Herald and his work has been published in Anguilla, Antigua, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Venezuela, Spain and the UK.

MELANIE REFFES is a Montreal-based travel writer and broadcaster. Her work has appeared in many publications, such as The Globe and Mail, Nights Out St. Maarten, Travel Weekly, Canadian Traveller, Montreal Gazette and The Miami Herald. She is the recipient of the 2007 Caribbean Tourism Organization's Baxter Award for Top Caribbean Writer based in Canada. She specializes in the Caribbean and has journeyed to many of the islands, but St. Maarten/St. Martin remains her personal paradise.

Born in Guyana, ALITA SINGH is a St. Maarten-based journalist who specializes in political and maritime reporting for The Daily Herald. She is also a prolific freelancer for several regional and international publications. Her work has garnered various accolades, including the Crystal Pineapple Award for Excellence in Tourism Journalism, and earned her the title of Person of the Year by EnviroNews magazine in 2006. Her commitment to bettering the plight of animals on St. Maarten has led her to become one of the "ladies of influence" for the "I Love My Island Dog" 2011 calendar. An avid reader, she also enjoys traveling and experiencing new adventures, such as when she appeared on an episode of HGTV's House Hunters International.

An award-winning travel junkie, ROBERTA SOTONOFF writes to support her habit. Her passion has taken her to well over 100 countries. Bobbi's work has been published in dozens of domestic and international newspapers, magazines, websites and guides. She is a regular contributor to many of them. Visit her at robertasotonoff.com.

* Special thanks to Anne Marie Scot for her valuable assistance and to Stephen Thompson of Guavaberry for his artistic contribution., Dr. Jean C. Hager-Rich for her help with the musicians' photo shoot and Paul Boetekees for his beautiful photography.