

The sensitivity of these issues had her book banned in many places. The teenage drug addiction and sexual issues inspired Hopkins to explore these delicate subjects. It is loosely based on her adopted daughter’s addiction of crystal meth. Hopkins’ debut novel, entitled Crank, was published in 2004. Eventually, she had her first novels published after struggling for a while as a writer.

She produced about twenty titles in the respective genre which include Orcas: High Seas Supermen and Air Devils. She did her stint of freelance writing for newspapers and magazines before she shifted her interest toward children’s nonfiction. As she moved to northern Nevada, in 1990, she took up her passion for writing. Although a series of tragic events followed her divorce, she survived the rise and fall of life and eventually met her second husband John Hopkins, whom she married in 1985. She had two sons out of her first marriage, which did not last longer and she had to sell her video store business later. Afterwards, she set out to pursue journalism and enrolled herself in Crafton Hills College and UCSB.Ī twist of fate changed her career plan as she dropped out of college in order to get married and start a business.

In 1973, she earned her graduation from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School. She was a keen student who had nothing but straight A’s all through high school. She received her education from a private school when she moved to Santa Ynez Valley. At the young age of nine, she published a Japanese styled poem titled Haiku in the Palm Springs Desert Sun. Encouraged by her teachers, she used to participate in every creative writing contest and won all of them.

Her earlier works included poetry mostly but it was not until 1992 that she started writing professionally. Hopkins began writing as soon as she learned its art.
