I was introduced to Nancy Drew at 17. At 21 I discovered Stephen King. Loving both mystery and the "unknown," what's a writer to do? She combines them.
Look and Listen
Biography
Being a Gemini I have the attention span of a two-year-old. Writing one series isn't enough. I had to dive into three separate series. Although I have been writing for over twenty years, writing hasn't been my main job. I have been an administrative assistant to a local mayor, car salesman, sales assistant, assistant to the president of a franchise consulting firm, a seminar coordinator. But my most enjoyable job was the six years I spent as a casino dealer. This came in handy when I wrote NOTHING ELSE MATTERS which is about a murder on a riverboat casino. I am particularly fond of the unknown and unusual which is why I once subscribed to Dr. J. Allen Hynek's UFO REPORTER. I grew up with The Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond, and Shock Theatre. I have carried these interests to my writing. My Sam Casey Series features a Native American detective with the unique ability to hear the dead speak, (think "Medium" with a Native American twist). My Chase Dagger Series (written as Lee Driver) includes a young Native American woman who is a shapeshifter, combining mystery with fantasy, sometimes horror, and sometimes a little sci-fi tossed in for the heck of it. In attempting to interest my niece in mysteries, I started a middle school/young adult series, a traditional Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys with a little inspiration from the CSI programs. When not pounding away at my keyboard, I can be found on the golf course. Web site: www.sdtooley.com
Inspiration
Before I was old enough to read, my mom read to us...Peter Pan, Gulliver's Travels, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, many of the old time favorites. I loved the storytelling, the make believe worlds writers would create, characters people could fall in love with, identify with. I love weaving a mystery but I also love that part of us that still reaches back to those childhood stories where suspending disbelief opened up all kinds of "what if" worlds.
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