José Antonio Cotrina is a renowned Spanish writer, born on July 8, 1972, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. He primarily focuses on the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres. Cotrina is best known for his series set in the Between the Lines Universe and his notable trilogy, The Cycle of the Red Moon.

He began his writing career in the early 1990s, mainly publishing short stories. His transition to novel writing came in 2003 with Las fuentes perdidas published by La Factoría de Ideas. Since then, he has directed his career towards young adult literature, creating works such as La casa de la Colina Negra by Alfaguara, the trilogy El ciclo de la Luna Roja, and La canción secreta del mundo both with Hidra.

Cotrina has received several prestigious awards, including the UPC Award for a science fiction novella Salir de Fase and the Alberto Magno Award, which he has won three times. His writing is characterized by a bold and shameless blend of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.