Mary Ruth Barnes is a Chickasaw artist, teacher, and writer. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from North Carolina State University, and received her master's degree in education from Montana State University. In 2015, Barnes was named the Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year and in 2019, received the Women in the Arts Recognition Award from the Ada, Oklahoma chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 2017, she retired from her years of service with the American Cancer Society. Barnes is a long-time equestrian and likes to spend time with her husband, Mike, at their Oklahoma ranch. She enjoys painting and writing, and her short stories have been featured in The Journal of Chickasaw History and Culture. Little Bird is Barnes's debut into the world of historical fiction and her first full-length novel.