Liesl Shurtliff was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spent many lovely days and nights in the woods. She has never encountered a wolf, for better or worse. Liesl earned a bachelor's degree in music, dance, and theater from Brigham Young University before becoming a writer. Rump: The Real Tale of Rumpelstiltskin was named to over twenty state award lists, won an IRA Children's Book Award, and received a starred Kirkus review, pronouncing it as good as gold. Jack: The Real Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, her second book, was likewise a smash with critics and children.

She and her family now reside in Chicago, where she continues to write fairy stories. Visit LieslShurtliff.com or follow her on Twitter at @LieslShurtliff.