Cheryl Peyton was born and raised in Chicago. Prior to writing books, she had pursued several varied professions that have all influenced her plots and characters.

Even as a young child, Cheryl developed an interest in writing. Her mother, an editor of Young Adult Fiction, would read to her from galleys and then analyze the writing style with her.

Do the conversations sound natural? Are you interested in the story? Can you keep the characters straight?

After college, her first job was as a caseworker on Chicago's south side, followed by a career as an interior designer on Chicago's North Shore.

Her third profession was as a paralegal. Assisting in court, she became acquainted with rules of evidence and courtroom procedures, while honing her writing skills working on legal briefs.

Her series of Alex Trotter cozy mysteries features the impulsive, nosy tour operator/amateur detective who escorts groups for fun and relaxation. Unfortunately, these trips become ill-fated vacations when murder intrudes on the itinerary.

Ms. Peyton has also written a thriller about the attack on a nuclear weapons convoy by a ragtag gang who succeed in stealing a warhead despite their ineptness. Her one biography is an uplifting story of a young woman victimized by paralytic polio just prior to the development of the Salk vaccine.

Ms. Peyton now lives near Knoxville, in Loudon, Tennessee with her husband Jim and their Havanese dog, Cody.