Laura Ziepe was born in Essex and has lived there all her life. She had a small part in the first series of The Only Way is Essex but decided a life in front of the cameras wasn't really for her; she much preferred the dramas she could dream up on her laptop! When she's not writing, she loves to read, travel, cook and spend time at home Essex with her husband and two Chihuahuas, Dolly and Dusty. Her first novel Essex Girls is also published by Avon.