Lurlene McDaniel is an American author born on April 5, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has written more than 70 young adult books and is renowned for her focus on young adults dealing with mortality and chronic illnesses. Her writing career started as a therapeutic way to cope with the trauma experienced when her son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of three.

McDaniel's works often delve into the struggles of characters facing serious health challenges such as cancer, diabetes, organ failure, and the impact of losing loved ones through disease or suicide. She graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa and currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee.