Kathleen Ernst

Kathleen Ernst is an acclaimed American author, best known for her historical fiction and mystery novels. She was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Maryland, surrounded by books with a librarian mother and an avid reader father. Ernst's love for writing began at a young age, completing her first novel at 15, although she didn't get a book deal until two decades later. She attended West Virginia University, majoring in Forestry but also took many creative writing and history classes. Ernst began her writing career by scripting instructional videos for public television and writing American Girl novels in her spare time.

Before becoming a full-time author, Ernst worked as a curator, historian, and educator. She has a Masters Degree in History Education and Writing from Antioch University. Ernst's self-designed program focused on non-traditional methods of teaching and learning history, with a special emphasis on historical fiction. Her writing journey has been marked with numerous accolades, including two lifetime writing achievement awards, an Emmy for educational television, and Edgar Allan Poe and multiple Agatha Christie mystery award nominations.

Ernst is a prolific writer, having published nearly 1.8 million audio, ebook, and print copies of her forty published books. Some of her notable works include the Chloe Ellefson Mysteries series and the American Girls: Caroline series. She enjoys traveling, cooking, handwork, trying out new skills, and reading. Ernst currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Scott. She maintains an extensive website, a Facebook author's page, and a blog where she shares her experiences, research, and love for writing.