Merry Shannon was born in California and grew up a military brat. Raised in a conservative Christian home, she was not allowed to watch cartoons and moved around so much that she made few friends; and so she turned to books for companionship and entertainment. She fell in love with reading at a very young age, and soon began to write her own stories.

Her love of fantasy and adventure began very early, and at the age of thirteen Merry completed her first novel-length story. She continued to write throughout high school, and graduated college in 2001 with a B.A. in English. Romance is her favorite genre, so most of her work features a blossoming relationship in a fantasy/adventure setting. Her first book, Sword of the Guardian, recieved two Golden Crown Literary Awards in 2007.

Currently Merry lives with her girlfriend, Shasta (yes, her name is Shasta!) and their many assorted animals in sunny Denver.