Cassandra Clare (born Judith Lewis) is an American author of young adult fiction, best known for her bestselling series The Mortal Instruments. Born to American parents in Tehran, Iran, Clare traveled frequently as a child, spending time in Switzerland, England, and France with several trunks of fantasy books. She spent her high school years in Los Angeles where she used to write stories to amuse her classmates. Before beginning her career as a writer, she worked at various entertainment magazines and tabloids, including The Hollywood Reporter. In 2004, she wrote the City of Bones, the first book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy and a New York Times bestseller. She started writing fantasy fiction full time in 2006. Cassandra lives with her husband, Joshua Lewis, and their three cats in Amherst, Massachusetts.