The daugh­ter of Ger­man immi­grants Bet­sy Carter is the author of the nov­els Swim to Me The Orange Blos­som Spe­cial and The Puz­zle King as well as her mem­oir Noth­ing to Fall Back On. She is also the cre­ator and edi­tor of New York Woman Mag­a­zine and has worked at many oth­er mag­a­zines includ­ing Newsweek Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire.