Virginia Syddall was born on December 5, 1935 in Bolton, England, UK. Her father, Thomas Syddall, taught her to love history, and she obtained a degree in History in the University. In 1956, Virginia married Arthur Henley and they had two sons. The marriage was installed in Toronto, Canada, when around 1978, Virginia read "The Wolf and the Dove" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and she immediately knew that she too could write one. She submitted her first manuscript to an editor at Avon Books and told her a little about herself and a little about the book. She asked her to pop it in the mail, and when she read it, she bought it. Her novel, The Irish Gypsy, was published in 1982. Virginia Henley is a New York Times bestselling writer of historical novels. Her work has been translated into fourteen languages. She is the recipient of more than a dozen writing awards, including a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award, a Waldenbooks' Bestselling Award, and a Maggie Award for Excellence from the Georgia Romance Writers. With her husband retired, they live most of the year in St. Petersburg, Florida, and they spend the hot summers in Ontario, Canada, where they have their two adult sons, three grandsons As well as three great granddaughters.