Diane Merrill Wigginton was born in Riverside, California in 1963. Her family moved to San Diego near the end of 1970, where she grew up in the newly developed community of Mira Mesa. Spending portions of her summers each year in Burly, Idaho with her mother's parents, Florence and Orval Merrill, Diane developed a love of animals and a respect for the land. It was during this time on the farm riding horses, herding cattle and taming wild kittens she found between the haystacks that Diane also developed a love of storytelling. She dreamed that one day she would become a published author and would be able to tell her stories to the world. Having spent her entire life in California, Diane and her husband made the move from Northern California to Kalispell Montana to retire in February 2018. Now she is able to pursue her passion of writing books full-time. "I am thrilled and elated to be doing what I love."