Janice Marschner was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area and has lived in Sacramento since 1973. Her parents grew up in Eugene, Oregon, and Marschner spent many summers visiting family in the Eugene and Portland areas. Before retiring early to pursue her interest in history, she worked for a state senator and as a legislative analyst for the State of California. Her first book, California 1850: A Snapshot in Time, commemorated California's sesquicentennial in 2000.