Karmel Schreyer was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and moved with her family to Ottawa at the age of 14 when her father, the Right Honourable Edward Schreyer, was appointed Governor General of Canada. She now lives in Hong Kong with her husband and two children. Schreyer has degrees in history, political science, and teaching English as a Second Language from universities in Ottawa, Canberra, Australia, Vancouver and Seattle. Along with writing young adult fiction, Schreyer works as a writer and editor of educational materials for Asian children in Hong Kong.