The careers of both her parents were a tremendous influence on Nicola as she grew up in Ireland. Her father was a minister in the Christian Church - a man of great peace and faith whose words could shake a packed congregation or bring comfort to a troubled soul. Her mother was a university professor in the field of physics - a woman of quick intellect and stern logic. (Neither Nicola nor her parents knew of the Wolf-Blooded legacy in their family, and tales of Father Wolf, the Gauntlet or Uratha would have meant nothing to them)

Although Nicola does not share her father’s adherence to church teachings, she does believe in a spiritual world beyond that known to man. She has dedicated herself to applying her mother’s scientific principles to studying and analysing reports of holy sites, haunted dwellings and other indications of the spiritual world at work.

Nicola is quick to smile and always willing to see the best in people. Whether there is a benevolent god, a balancing of karma or some force acting for the ‘greater good’, she firmly believes that ultimately things work out for the best. There may be suffering along the way, but a path through troubles will always be found.

In her youth, there seemed to be a constant stream of people through the family home and a never-ending list of social gatherings. This has left Nicola with a knack for making friends and greeting strangers. Although she is aware of the effect of her beauty on some men, even at university Nicola had little interest in forming more intimate friendships. She has always been more focused on her studies and research.

Perhaps one reason that Nicola takes her work so seriously is that it seems that nobody else does. When she moved to the United States and Midway University’s post-graduate programme, she found herself far from her parents’ support. Her new friends and fellow students reckon that Nicola’s chosen field is a topic for ridicule. Yet through her hard work and persistence, Nicola has started to gain some small recognition in the academic community. She is more certain than ever that there are spiritual entities living among mankind.