Note: Born 1953, St. Anne's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois. Daughter of Monica Marie Buerglar Collins and David Merrill Collins. Eldest of five; the other four are Susan, David Allen, Margaret, and Carol. Attended Carleton College in Minnesota (A.B., 1974) and Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota (M.B.A. 1977). Worked as a financial analyst and accountant from 1977-1985. Married James M. Wrede, 1976; Divorced, 1991. No children. First book, Shadow Magic, sold in 1980 and was published in 1982.