Louise L. Hay grew up in an unstable and poverty-stricken household. After years of abuse, Hay ran away from her Southern California home and ended up in New York City. There she met and married a wealthy businessman and began a career as a model. When her marriage ended 14 years later, Hay began the long journey toward healing her childhood woes.

In 1970, Hay attended a meeting at the Church of Religious Science and began training in the ministerial program. She soon found herself counseling clients. Through her work as a Science of Mind minister, Hay compiled a reference guide detailing the mental causes of physical ailments and positive thought-provoking ways to cure them. The compilation, entitled Heal Your Body, is also known as "The Little Blue Book."

After moving back to her native Southern California in 1980, Hay wrote and published the book You Can Heal Your Life. A guide to changing thinking to maintain a better life, the book reached the New York Times bestseller list, remained there for 12 consecutive weeks, and sold more than 3 million copies in 30 countries throughout the world. Other Hay books, including Empowering Women and Life! Reflections on Your Journey, have been translated into 23 languages.

Hay founded Hay House, Inc., in 1984. Beginning as a small venture in the living room of her home, it became an internationally successful corporation which has sold more than 10 million books and tapes since its inception. Some of the authors represented by Hay House include Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Barbara De Angelis, and Stuart Wilde.

Hay is also the author of the monthly column "Dear Louise," which appears in more than 50 publications worldwide.