Jeri Kroll was born and grew up in New York City, but she spent ten summers in the Catskill Mountains at camp pretending she wasn't a city person. She has travelled widely in Europe and began her academic career in the UK and the US before moving to Australia in 1978.

Jeri's hectic life is divided between her job, writing, family and horses. She has a son, two stepchildren, five horses, three dogs, two cats and not much spare time - a fact her husband Jeff Chilton often points out to her. In her second teenagerhood, she has been involved in the Fleurieu Pony Club for a number of years. Although she still gets really nervous, she showjumps and does a bit of one-day eventing.

Jeri wrote her first poems when she was eight, encouraged by her sister, Judith Kroll, who is also a writer and academic. Jeri began her writing career by publishing books of poems and stories for adults. When she had her own child, she read to him all the time. Then she decided to try writing a picture book herself.

In case you're wondering what Jeri looks like, she's on the cover of Riding the Blues with her chestnut mare, Shady Lady. The photo was taken by photographer Peter Gower gowerphotos.tripod.com at an event at Monarto Equestrian Centre in 1997.