After more than twelve years of researching E.D.E.N. Southworth, Rose Neal, PhD, is one of the preeminent scholars on the author's work and life. In 2012, she finished her master's thesis on Southworth before embarking on a doctorate in literature from Swansea University in Wales, where she successfully defended her dissertation on Southworth's impact on female education. Dr. Neal has also presented about the author at professional conferences and libraries.

After a twenty-plus-year career in teaching, both at the high school and university levels, Dr. Neal retired and is now devoting herself full-time to a second career as a writer. In addition to her love of research and storytelling, she enjoys traveling with her husband, Chris, and spending time in her garden. She lives in Edmond, Oklahoma.