Lauren Kate was born in Ohio, raised in Dallas, Texas, and attended college in Atlanta, Georgia. Kate has stated that her experience of the "Old South" in the Atlanta area inspired her to write Fallen in a Civil War. She writes young adult fiction. Her books include The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, Fallen series, and the Teardrop Trilogy. Her title, Rapture (Book 4 in the Fallen Series), made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2012. The first book of her new series, Teardrop, made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2013.