Milly Johnson was born in Barnsley, raised in Barnsley and still lives in Barnsley - although she did study in Exeter for four years and emigrate to Haworth in West Yorkshire in the 1980s. She trained as an actress, teacher, an accountant, a Customer Services and Suggestion Scheme Manager as well as working in a variety of administrative posts for companies dealing with anything from antique furniture to plastic injection moulded poop scoops. Eventually she found a happy existence writing poems and jokes for the greetings card world - helping to kick off the hugely successful Purple Ronnie project - which she still does on a part time basis whilst penning her novels.