Catherine Friend farms in Minnesota with her partner of twenty-four years. The author of two nonfiction books, two novels, and six children's books, Catherine would rather write than wrangle sheep, but is proud she can do both.

She has a B.A. in Economics and Spanish, and a M.S. in Economics, neither of which she has used for years. She has held an impressive array of odd jobs, such as packing cheese and sausage gift boxes, weeding on an organic vegetable farm, and working an assembly line packing boxes of Christmas decorations.

For many years she taught writing for the Institute of Children's Literature. She works as a freelance editor, gives writing workshops, volunteers on the local library board, does chores on the farm, and wears an Elvis watch.