Dorothy was born in the northeast of England and still considers herself a "Geordie"—even though her family moved to the south shortly after the beginning of the Second World War, when her father's services as a firefighter were required, firstly in Coventry and then in London.

She started her schooling in South London and, no sooner had she learned to read than she was continually being reprimanded for "always having her nose in a book." Moving on to a South London grammar school, she read her way through most of the fiction in the junior department of the local library, at the same time scribbling out little stories of her own to pass around her form mates, who were always keen to read the "next episode." Working her way through the adult library led her to a keen interest in social history and an introduction to Georgette Heyer's novels lit the flame for all things Regency!

Leaving school Dorothy worked firstly in the head office of the Midland Bank and subsequently in an assurance company, where she met and ultimately married John, whose occupation as an insurance inspector required him to be appointed to several of the company's other branches throughout the country. This entailed moving house a total of seven times from London to Hampshire and thence to Leicestershire, Warwickshire and, finally, Lincolnshire, during which period Dorothy produced two daughters and a son, acquired four grandchildren and a great grandson while, at the same time, working her way through the collections of all the local libraries in each of these venues. Having helped set up and run various playgroups throughout her own children's early years, it was not long before she was persuaded to try her hand at primary school teaching and, after undergoing a three-year course for mature students at Leicester, she spent the next fifteen years doing just that. Here, she was able to share her own passion for reading with her pupils and always made a point of ensuring that no child ever left her class unable to read and write!