Paul Kropp was born in Buffalo, New York on February 22, 1948. He received a B.A. degree from Columbia University and a M.A. degree in 17th century English poetry at the University of Western Ontario. He got his teacher's certification and started writing for his struggling students. He became a full-time author in 1994. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 70 books including Burn Out, Wilted, Cottage Crazy, and Ski Stooges. He also co-founded High Interest Publishing, a company that produces materials for reluctant readers. He died from cancer on August 22, 2015 at the age of 67.