Julie Anne Peters was born in Jamestown, New York, on 16 January 1952. When she was five, her family moved to the Denver suburbs in Colorado. Her parents divorced when she was in high school. She has three siblings: a brother, John, and two younger sisters, Jeanne and Susan.

Peters' first college degree was a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in elementary education with a minor in French. She taught fifth grade for a year, until she and the principal mutually agreed that teaching was not the career for her.

Peters earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Management Science. During the next ten years, she worked as a research analyst, computer programmer, and systems engineer. She also earned a Masters in Business with emphasis in Information Systems, which confirmed "that computer science was not the field for her".

At this point, Peters began writing. Her books for young adults include Define "Normal" (2000), Keeping You a Secret (2003), Luna (2004), Far from Xanadu (2005), and Between Mom and Jo (2006). Her young adult fiction frequently deals with LGBT issues. She has also written books for younger readers, such as the Snob Squad series.

She maintains a website and a weblog.

Peters lives with her partner, Sherri Leggett, in Lakewood, Colorado.

Peters' most recent novel, By the Time You Read This I'll Be Dead, was released on January 5, 2010. It is a darkly realistic novel that deals with the struggles of bullying.