Sandra Evans drew inspiration for "This Is Not a Werewolf Story" from cultural sources, including the sympathetic werewolf stories of twelfth-century France, Celtic myths, and the folklore of the Pacific Northwest. She wrote the novel for (and with input from) her son. Sandra is a native of Whidbey Island and earned her doctorate in French literature from the University of Washington. "This Is Not a Werewolf Story "is her first book for children.