Karen Krossing was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and grew up in the same area. She first became passionate about writing in high school. After studying English at the University of Guelph, she spent the next ten years working as an educational book editor. She then completed a certificate in Professional and Technical Writing from Glendon College at York University. But when she began to pursue writing with more commitment, she found herself writing fiction for children and young adults.

Karen’s first short story, “Dragon’s Breath”, was published in 1998 in Opening Tricks, a collection of the third Thistledown Press young adult short story competition. A member of CANSCAIP, Karen is a firm believer in the benefit of writer’s groups as a forum to support creative growth and innovation.

Karen loves books about magic, and secretly believes that magic is real. But she also enjoys gritty, realistic fiction and non-fiction. Karen likes climbing trees, wilderness camping, exploring new worlds on the Internet and travelling. She currently lives with her husband and two daughters in Toronto. The Castle Key was her first novel for children.