Lois grew up in central California. Her family moved around a lot, but during her early years she lived in the Tehachapi mountains that form the southeastern boundary of California's Central Valley. She spent her childhood climbing trees, reading books, and creating maps and leading her brother and sister on hunts for buried treasures. On all of her adventures she was accompanied by her dog, Strider, an Australian shepherd, who walked her to the bus stop every morning and then met her there to walk home at the end of the day.

Later, her family moved to the city. She studied literature in college and became a teacher. When she read books out loud to her students, especially books like THE MOORCHILD by Eloise McGraw or SOUNDER by William H. Armstrong, she became inspired to write books of her own.

Today, she is married and has two children. She lives on a small farm where she has a barn that she fills with animals who need homes. She has dogs, cats, and the sweetest chickens in the world!