Michael R. French graduated from Stanford University where he was an English major, focusing on creative writing, and studied under Wallace Stegner. He received a Master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He later served in the United States Army before marrying Patricia Goodkind, an educator and entrepreneur, and starting a family.  

​In addition to publishing over 20 titles, including award-winning young adult fiction, adult fiction, biographies and self-help books, he has written or co-written a half-dozen screenplays, including Intersection, which has won awards in over 20 film festivals. He has also had a long business career in real estate, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His passions include travel, collecting rare books, and hanging with friends and family. He describes his worst traits as impatience and saying "no" too quickly; his best are curiosity, taking risks, and learning from failure.

French’s work, which includes several bestsellers, has been warmly reviewed in the New York Times and been honored with a number of literary prizes.

Books by Michael R. French

The Good Mother Test

by Michael R. French - Fiction

When Emily, a bright but impulsive UCLA student, gives birth to her daughter Violet, she vows to be the kind of mother she never had. But as Violet grows into a gifted and unpredictable child, Emily’s instinct-driven parenting collides with a world obsessed with achievement, social expectations and expert advice. When Violet’s father, Doug, reenters her life --- now in a relationship with Amanda Hoenig, a respected family therapist --- an uneasy triangle begins to form. What starts as an amicable co-parenting arrangement turns into a psychological tug-of-war over Violet’s future. Emily’s intuition and Amanda’s professional authority clash as everyone insists they are fighting for the same thing: what is best for the child. Violet has her own opinions about this.