Diane L. Carey was born on 2 October 1954 in Flint, Michigan, USA. She married Gregory E. Brodeur, an editor, and they had three children: Lydia, Gordon, and Ben. The family lives in Michigan.

Her first published was a romance novel under the pseudonym Lydia Gregory. Later she published other romance, science fiction, and children's novels as Diane Carey and D. L. Carey. She is probably best known for the many best-selling Star Trek novels she writes with her husband/collaborator Greg Brodeur. The duo work together on plot development, characterization and story solidity, then Diane does all of the actual writing, while Greg edits the works-in-progress for dramatic flow and emotional impact.