Marie Gilroy Macpherson grew up in the Honest Toun of Musselburgh, six miles from the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. A Carnegie scholar at Strathlyde University, she gained a BA (Hons) Degree in Russian Language and Literature. She spent a year in the Soviet Union to research her PhD thesis on the 19th century Russian writer, Lermontov. The rich history of East Lothian during the Reformation provides the inspiration for the Knox Trilogy, a fictional account of the life of the Scottish reformer, John Knox, and his connection with the Hepburn family. Prizes and awards include the Martha Hamilton Prize for Creative Writing from Edinburgh University and 'Writer of the Year 2011' title awarded by Tyne & Esk Writers. She is a member of the Historical Writers' Association and the Society of Authors.