Jacqueline Carey was born in 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois. After receiving B.A. degrees in psychology and English literature from Lake Forest College, she spent six months working in a bookstore in London. Upon returning to the U.S., she began her writing career while working at a local college. Her debut novel, Kushiel's Dart, was published in 2001 and won the 2002 Locus Award for Best First Novel. Her other works include the Kushiel's Legacy series, the Naamah series, the Sundering series, and Santa Olivia series.