Carolyn Kephart experienced a nomadic childhood and a Sixties coming of age, both of which had an immeasurable influence on her development as a writer. She holds a doctorate in Baroque musical theatre from Penn State's English department, and continually seeks to widen her range of interests in other periods and fields, especially in literature, history, languages, and the arts. Travel is a passion, and she has visited all but one of the fifty states, as well as most of western Europe; her favorite places are France, Italy, Scandinavia, and the Four Corners region of the United States.

She has been writing all her life, always under the impetus of some engrossing new influence, but her style is inspired by the classical Japanese spirit of beauty: nothing of idle ornament, but necessity as fine and as perfect as it can be. Her fantasies Wysard and Lord Brother have met with a warm welcome from speculative fans, critics and fellow writers, and she is now working on the prequel and planning a continuation of the duology. Another novel, Faustine, magic realism which brings together Hadrian's Wall, the American corn belt, and an increasingly mystified archaeologist, is also in the works.