Born in Wellington in 1961, Lauren Roche has spent the last 59 years moving steadily northwards. She now lives in Tutukaka with a view of the sea and a writing room surrounded by native trees. She briefly attended Wellington High School and Epsom Girls’ Grammar schools, then – after finally growing up – returned to education via Victoria University and the University of Otago School of Medicine. Lauren is the author of two previously published best-selling memoirs, Bent not Broken and Life on the Line. She overcame childhood trauma, working as a stripper and prostitute before turning her life around. She graduated as a medical doctor in 1991. Lauren has completed Ironman New Zealand twice, and in 2019 was a recipient of the Zonta New Zealand Woman of Achievement award. In late 2018, after suffering the effects of a spinal cord injury, Lauren retired from general practice and began writing full time. She completed a Diploma in Advanced Writing through NorthTec in 2019 and a Master of Creative Writing in 2020 through AUT.