Caren was raised in Ohio, in the middle of the USA, the oldest of four children. Much of her childhood was spent reading Nancy Drew and Black Stallion books, and crafting her own stories. She completed a degree in foreign languages and later another degree in physical therapy where for many years, her only writing was research-based, including a therapeutic exercise textbook. She has lived in Virginia for over twenty years where she practices physical therapy, teaches anatomy and lives with her partner and their canine fur-children. She began writing creatively again in the mid-nineties. Her first novel, Looking Through Windows, won a Golden Crown Literary Society Award for debut author, and her next three novels all won or placed in the 2013 Rainbow Awards. In 2014, she won a second Golden Crown Award for In This Small Spot.Check out her blog: http://cjwerlinger.wordpress.com