Born and raised in the tiny bedroom community of Rialto, California, Darlene Faccone was a self-described “geek” in high school. She worked in the library during lunch and after school, completed homework for all the popular girls, and studied Latin. Her mom was a nurse and her dad was a pharmacist, so early on she aspired to become a pediatrician, but moved on to other pursuits. Darlene was a passionate ocean swimmer and scuba diver. She also loved to skydive, and had a private pilot's license.

Darlene lives in Escondido, the north county region of San Diego, just a 30-minute drive away from beaches, mountains or the desert. The weather is almost always beautiful and sunny (sorry, Minnesotans). She has three “furbabies” (cats)—Missy, Molly and Lulu and enjoys quilting, reading and gardening.