Claire Avery

Mari Hilburn, an attorney, and Michelle Poche, a screenwriter and journalist, are sisters who write novels under their joint pseudonym, Claire Avery. 

They grew up in Chicago in a cult that combined Catholic fundamentalism with socialism—and plenty of guilt.  When the sisters were in their teens, their father, fearing that the end was near, moved—along with twenty-five other families—to the Ozark Mountains.  There, they lived in a bomb shelter and attempted to raise chickens and grow enough food to survive the coming nuclear holocaust. 

Moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth area after high school graduation, the sisters earned degrees in Psychology and Journalism.  Michelle moved to New York and Europe to work as a fashion model, while Mari pursued a career as an attorney in private practice.  Now full- time novelists, Mari lives near Chicago while Michelle lives in Aspen, Colorado. They are the authors of Hidden Wives.