At various times in her life, Barbara Hambly has been a high-school teacher, a model, a waitress, a technical editor, a professional graduate student, an all-night clerk at a liquor store, and a karate instructor (she holds a Black Belt and competed in several national-level tournaments).
Born in San Diego, she grew up in southern California and attended U. C. Riverside, specializing in medieval history, and spending a year at the University of Bordeaux in the South of France; eventually she earned a masters degree in the subject. She now lives in Los Angeles, California.