Jen Barton was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1971 and spent much of her life on the East Coast. In 2008, at age 36, she and her family moved to California. With two cars, she and her husband moved two dogs, two guinea pigs, a cornsnake and their 10-year old daughter across the country. She counts the five day road trip, including a near escape by both dogs on Day 3, as one of her best experiences to date.In 2009, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Millersville University, Barton realized her childhood dream to become a writer. One van full of bored kids, one long day of travel, and Fiona Thorn was born. She's been writing ever since.When not taxiing her teenage daughter hither and yon, Barton loves reading (especially fantasy by George R.

R. Martin), cooking (anything with pasta is a hit), and writing (magical worlds with obstinate teen girls is always a favorite). In 2012 Barton's middle grade fantasy adventure, Fiona Thorn and the Carapacem Spell, was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Southern California Book Festival. Later that year Barton was named 1st Runner Up in America's Next Author for her compelling short story of an old woman trapped in her own body, "Movin' On Up.".