Barbara Smith was born and raised in Toronto and lived most of her life in Edmonton before settling in the Victoria area in 2006. Barbara is a full-time writer whose work is inspired by a love of mystery combined with her lifelong interest in social history. She has published over thirty books, twenty of which are collections of true ghost stories, including The Mad Trapper and perennial bestsellers Ghost Stories of Alberta, Ghost Stories and Mysterious Creatures of British Columbia, Ghost Stories of the Rocky Mountains, and Canadian Ghost Stories. Barbara was also featured on the Discovery Channel's Hunt for the Mad Trapper.