Jerry Rosen spent thirty years in advertising before turning his attention to the outdoor pursuits, photography, writing, and animal advocacy that have long been important parts of his life. For ten years, he worked in the Outdoor Sports Department at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, where he guided guests on hiking, cycling, and photography experiences throughout the Sonoran Desert. At the same time, Rosen volunteered with Tucson's Pima Animal Care Center, where he developed hiking programs that gave shelter dogs opportunities to exercise, explore, and spend time outside the shelter environment. He also created a cycling team that participated in El Tour de Tucson, the city's major annual cycling event, to help raise awareness and support for shelter animals. Dogs have been an important part of Rosen's life for decades and have strongly influenced his creative work. His own dog, Blu, was an important inspiration for The Way Home and for the relationship at the heart of the novel. Rosen's writing reflects his longstanding interests in the natural world, the relationship between humans and animals, and the extraordinary bond that has developed between people and dogs over thousands of years. The Way Home is his second published book.

He lives in Tucson, Arizona, where he continues to hike, cycle, photograph, and explore the desert with Blu.