Dr. Kamali Rao grew up in Chennai and presently lives in Bangalore. She obtained her PhD in English Language Teaching from Bangalore University in 2003. She taught English for over 40 years to college students, teachers, bank employees, foreign students, and law students. Her hobbies include oil painting on canvas, reading books, and travelling. Her first book The Train that Never Was and Other Stories was published in 2019. Reaching For The Stars is her second book.