He was known for the speed of his writing and was, by some estimates, the most prolific Canadian author ever, though he did not take up fiction until middle age.
As Marilyn Ross, he wrote popular Gothic fiction, including a series of novels about the vampire Barnabas Collins based on the American TV series Dark Shadows (1966–71).
William Edward Daniel Ross was born on November 16, 1912, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, the son of Laura (née Brooks) and William Edward Ross.
He married Charlotte McCormack in 1944, and worked for years as an actor, as the manager of an acting company, and in broadcasting.
Ross appeared as himself on the January 31, 1966 episode of the CBS game show To Tell the Truth.