Robyn Elaine Donald was born on 14 August 1940 in Northland, New Zealand, she was the oldest in her family, and as a child she thrilled her four sisters and one brother with bloodcurdling adventure tales, usually very like the latest book she'd borrowed from the library. She married and worked as teacher during years.

Robyn owes her writing career to two illnesses. The first was a younger sister's flu. Her sister was living with her husband and her and spent most of that winter acquiring,...