Katherine Howell was born and raised in Sydney. After leaving school she worked in various jobs, including as an animal handler and bookshop sales assistant, and went to university for a year to study science. Keen for something different she then joined the ambulance service, and spent the next fifteen years working on the road in various parts of NSW. During this time she also studied for her BA and MPhil degrees, both in writing.

'Frantic' is the fourth novel she's written; the rest are stashed under her bed, never to see the light of day again. She's also written some articles and short stories, but prefers now to concentrate on novels.