Mary Pope Osborne was born in 1949 in Fort Skill, Oklahoma, and today lives with her husband Will, a well-known actor and theater director, and their dogs in Connecticut. As a child, she traveled extensively and got to know various countries. She lived with her family in Austria, Oklahoma, Florida, and elsewhere in America. After her studies, she was drawn back to distant lands and traveled for many months through Asia. Eventually, she began to write and became extraordinarily successful. In February 1993, Mary Pope Osborne was elected the 27th president of the Authors Guild, the oldest and most established organization for writers in America. After four years as president, she moved to the board, where she remains a member to this day. Over a hundred books by Mary Pope Osborne have since been published.