Exploring social issues and spiritual themes are the impulses behind Nora Ryan's work. Ordinary people struggling in extraordinary circumstances inhabit the pages of Ryan's Caribbean trilogy, inspired by her time living and traveling in the Caribbean.

Ryan worked with children and youth in a variety of settings as an educator and mentor. This experience provided the impetus to expand her collection into works suitable for children and young adults.

Ryan currently lives in Squamish, British Columbia. Nora Ryan is a pen name. The author has chosen this name to honor her paternal grandmother who was born in an age when women did not have a voice.