Born in Alliance, Nebraska, Faye Westlake moved to the South coast of Oregon at the age of three with two brothers, her mother, and her stepfather. Having started school at age three, she was permitted to continue in Oregon, despite being from 1 to 2 years younger than her classmates. Her first published work was in hard copy magazines and online, which supplemented disability insurance income, after she suffered a major stroke and a went through a split from her husband. Later, she formed a writers' group that met weekly for over fifteen years and members published seven books. Faye's first book, The Shaman's Granddaughter was published in 2014, the second, Shaman's Granddaughter: Saving Rebecca, in 2015. The Summer Place is her third.