Bledsoe was born into a family of many members in Portland, Oregon, USA, where she grew up. Bledsoe stated in an interview that she started writing stories when she was young and had always wanted to become a writer. She was inspired to write by her high school teacher. From 1975 to 1977, Bledsoe attended Williams College. She earned a B.A. at University of California at Berkeley in 1979. Bledsoe is openly lesbian.

Bledsoe writes both fiction and non-fiction books, though to her contemporary fiction is most interesting to write, as she loves "exploring [her] imagination". Bledsoe has said that her works are influenced by many authors, among them are James Baldwin, Willa Cather, Adrienne Rich, Barbara Kingsolver. While her writings primarily focus LGBT literature, Bledsoe also writes about family relationships and adventures in the wild.

In 1985, she received the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award. In 1995, Bledsoe published Sweat: Stories and a Novella, which helped her garner her first Lambda Literary Award finalist title for Lesbian Fiction. In 1997, she wrote her first adult novel Working Parts, for which she received the 1998 Stonewall Book Award - the American Library Association Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Award for Literature.

In 1998, Lesbian Travels: A Literary Companion, Whereabout Books, which she worked on as the editor, garnered her a second Lambda Literary Award finalist title, this time for Anthologies/Non-Fiction. In 2002, Bledsoe was awarded a California Arts Council fellowship in literature.

Bledsoe's 2002 children book Hoop Girlz, which is about a ten-year-old girl who loves playing basketball but, due to being rejected to play in a basketball camp tournament, she decides to form her own team. Hoop Girlz was selected as one of Booklist 's Top 10 Sports Books for Youth of the year and featured among Core Collection: Sports Fiction for Girls. Her second Lambda Literary Award finalist title for Lesbian Fiction (third Lambda Literary Award finalist title when counting all categories) came in 2003 with the publication of her second adult novel This Wild Silence.

Bledsoe has travelled to Antarctica three times and written two books about Antarctica, How to Survive in Antarctica and The Ice Cave: A Woman's Adventures from the Mojave to the Antarctic. Her newest novel Biting the Apple was published in 2007 and is currently a finalist for the 20th Annual Lambda Literary Awards in the category Women's fiction.

Besides writing, Bledsoe is a CD-ROM script writer for National Geographic and several other educational organizations, e.g. George Lucas Educational Foundation. From 1997 to 2003, she taught scriptwriting in the Masters of Creative Writing Graduate Program at the University of San Francisco. Bledsoe contributes to several magazines, including Newsday, Conditions, Ms., Fiction International, and Frontiers.

Bledsoe is a member of Media Alliance and National Writers Union. Her books have been translated into Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, German, and Dutch. Bledsoe has been given two National Science Foundation artist and writers in Antarctica fellowships.

Books for adults

As editor

• Goddesses We Ain't: Tenderloin Women Writers, Freedom Voices Publications 1992.
• Let the Spirit Flow: Writings on Communications and Freedom 1994.
• Heatwave: Women in Love and Lust (anthology) 1995.
• Leaping Fifty Stories High 1995.
• Lesbian Travels: A Literary Companion, Whereabout Books 1998.
• Gay Travels: A Literary Companion, Whereabouts Press 1998.

As author

• Sweat: Stories and a Novella 1995.
• Working Parts (novel) 1997.
• This Wild Silence (novel) 2003.
• The Ice Cave: A Woman's Adventures from the Mojave to the Antarctic (nonfiction) 2006.
• Biting the Apple (Anthologies) 2007.

Books for children

• The Big Bike Race 1995.
• Tracks in the Snow 1997.
• Cougar Canyon 2001.
• Hoop Girlz, 2002.
• The Antarctic Scoop 2003.
• How to Survive in Antarctica (nonfiction) 2005.