Just after Klein was asked to write a history of her church (Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square in Columbus), Klein welcomed the opportunity to research and write about a subject that had never been done before and ended up producing a full-length, fully illustrated book. While writing it, Klein discovered a passion for history and storytelling. At the same time, because Klein was reading lots of children's books with her sons, Klein offered to help organize a local conference, "Writing for Children" and ended up directing it for three years. This gave Klein the confidence to try her own hand at writing, and "Ophelia" was a story then taking shape in Klein, so it became her first novel.

Klein lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, who is a financial planner, and has two teenage sons.