Janice Sutcliffe was born on 27 September 1947 in Texas, USA. She earned her doctorate in English from the University of California, Davis, studying 17th century British Literature before going on to earn a Law degree (though she never practiced law). She also taught English at the University of San Francisco.

She married to writer Ronn Kaiser. They have been writing full-time for 18 years as R.J. Kaiser, sharing their personal and professional lives. They wrote more than a dozen mystery-thriller and general-interest-fiction titles. Most of their books have been critically acclaimed and published around the globe. His relationship mysteries are somewhat unique in the field and have won a wide following among both female and male readers.