Caroline B. Cooney — American Writer born on May 10, 1947,

Caroline B. Cooney is an American author of suspense, romance, horror, and mystery books for young adults... (wikipedia)

I love all of it, thinking up the plots, getting to know the kids in the story, their parents, backyards, pizza toppings.
If you write a story based on a real person, you're trapped by the details of the real person and his life. It gets in the way of writing your own story.
Actually my first eight books were historical novels, but they were never published.
I believe my readers are crazy about their parents and want to be just like them when they grow up.
I approach serious subjects, and I like to have the good guys win and have the parents among the good guys.