Claire Dean, who also writes as Christy Yorke and Christy Cohen, is the author of 11 published novels, including Girlwood, Spirit Caller, and The Wishing Garden. She lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Robert, and Jenny, a Great Dane/Labrador/Jerk mix. The pseudonym Claire Dean is taken from the names of the author's two children, and only used when she writes the books of her heart. Good Boy is one of those rare novels. While most of the author's books have a dog running around in them somewhere, Jenny wants to make it clear that she is the first star.