Maureen Ash was born in London and developed a lifelong interest in medieval history. Visits to castle ruins and old churches provided the inspiration for her novels. She now lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada where, she says, she enjoys Celtic music, browsing in bookstores and Belgian chocolate. Bascot's personal details arose out of her own experiences as a young child in London when she saw soldiers returning from horrific experiences in the Second World War. She is fascinated by the details of medieval life and aims to bring them alive in her stories.