Tracy Winegar was born and raised in Muncie, Indiana.  The third of eight children she was brought up in a close knit family.  At the age of nineteen, seeking adventure, she moved out on her own to Provo, Utah, where she later met and married her husband Ben. 

She and her husband have four children, Brynlee, Lucas, Hayden, and Lydia.  Her inspiration for writing Keeping Keller was her son Lucas who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.  Tracy not only wanted to paint a realistic picture of what life with a child with autism is like, she also wanted to inspire those who suffer from heartache or overwhelming circumstances so that they might feel hope, and realize that life can still be rewarding.