Melody Carlson was born in San Francisco, California on March 2, 1956. She graduated from Lane Community College. Before becoming a Christian author, she volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, and worked briefly in interior design and in international adoption. She has written over 200 books for children, pre-teens, young adults, and adults including Revell, Finding Alice, The Christmas Bus, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, and the Carter House Girls series.