Helaine Mario grew up in the New York City area and is a graduate of Boston University. She has served on many nonprofit boards both while residing in the DC area. A passionate advocate for women's and children's issues, she founded the SunDial Foundation, which contributed to over thirty charitable organizations every year for twenty years. Helaine and her husband Ron now live in Arlington, Virginia, and Sarasota, Florida. The Lost Concerto, her second novel, was inspired by her son Sean, a classical pianist.