Earlene Fowler, a native Californian, was raised in La Puente, California by a Southern mother and Western father. She wrote short fiction for ten years with no publishing success when she decided to change gaits and write a mystery novel. Her first novel, Fool's Puzzle, and two sequels, were sold within weeks of submission to Putnam-Berkley Publishing Group as one of three lead titles for their new hardcover mystery line, Berkley Prime Crime. Fool's Puzzle was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Mystery of 1994. Since then she has written thirteen more books in the Benni Harper quilt-titled mystery series, a book of short fiction with quilt patterns based on her Benni Harper characters and two stand-alone novels--The Saddlermaker's Wife and Love Mercy. Six of her books have been nominated for Agathas for Best Mystery. She won for Mariner's Compass.

Her mystery series starring ex-rancher and current folk art museum curator, Benni Harper, is set on the Central Coast of California in a town called San Celina wihc is pointedly similar to San Luis Obispo. Fowler is an avid lover of quilts, folk art, dogs, horses, oral history, country-western music and cowboy boots. When not writing, she likes to read and attempts to train her Pembroke Welsh corgi, Boudin "Boo." She occasionally cooks for her husband, just often enough for him to appreciate it. She collects cowgirl art and Day of the Dead writer figurines which makes her office just a little bit funky and a little bit creepy.