Shannon Hale was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 26, 1974. She received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah and a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Montana. Her first book, The Goose Girl, was published in 2003. She writes for both adults and young adults. Her adult books include Austenland, Midnight in Austenland, and The Actor and the Housewife. Her young adult books include Book of a Thousand Days, Princess Academy, Palace of Stone, and the Ever after High series. She co-wrote the graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack with husband Dean Hale.