Chaikin was the youngest of 10 children and her father died shortly after she was born.
She wrote her first full-length novel with pen and paper at the age of 14 - this novel was later rewritten as Wednesday's Child, part of the Day to Remember series.
She met her husband, Steve, in a Bible study, and they were married 6 months later.
They both went to Multnomah School of the Bible, now known as Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
Published by WaterBrook press, a division of Random House.