Lauren Wilkinson-Barnes was born in Sydney in 1967. After growing up as a competitive swimmer, she held a variety of non-descript jobs before studying a Bachelor of Education at the University of Western Sydney to become a Primary School Teacher. She recently studied a Diploma in Professional Counselling. This is Lauren's first published book, although she has previously written a children's novel and has been a passionate, private writer her whole life. Lauren is the mother of four sons and she lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales.