She studied English and Dutch literature and grammar at the University of Ghent, where she received her Master's Degree in 1978. She started working as a high school teacher, a job she loves as it brings her into contact with a variety of people and keeps her young.

The author is single and lives with her sister. She has many interests and hobbies including extensive travelling, reading, writing, music, the ballet, skiing, and horseback riding. Her most favorite cities are London and New York because they are so full of life. She also loves pets, but since the family was heartbroken when their cat, "Pluche" died, they decided not to take on any more pets.

Nickie Fleming started making up stories and writing them from the moment she was able to write. All through her school years she amused her fellow students with fairy tales and later on with longer stories about romance. She started to work on the first draft of "Shadow of the Past" some twenty years ago, but when she accepted her teaching job, it kept her so busy that she barely had time for anything else. Only recently did she get more free moments and from then on the writing bug took her over again.