Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Gail grew up in the suburb of Parma. Her mother, an avid moviegoer, took her Friday nights to the local movie theater. That’s where she fell in love with stories of all kinds. Her dream was to be a movie star, a ballerina or a writer.
As luck would have it, she realized two of her three dreams. She was a member of the Cleveland Civic Ballet Company. And she’s the author of five mystery novels, a memoir, a book of poetry, and numerous poems, essays, and short stories.
After earning a PhD and MA in English with a specialization in writing poetry, Gail decided to write a mystery novel at the urging of her son. Destroying Angels, the first book in her Leigh Girard mystery series, was described by Kirkus Reviews as “a riveting debut thriller.” She went on to write two more books in the series, Death’s Door and Peak Season for Murder, which won a Lovey Award for Best Traditional Sleuth. The Lost Artist, her stand-alone mystery, reflected her love of the visual arts and 19th century history.
In 2017 Gail’s memoir, White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing, captured national and international attention. The Washington Post named the book one of the most inspiring stories of the year. After she and her “lost” New Orleans family appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, her memoir reached the top 100 book on Amazon and led to her appearing in the short documentary film, History of Memory. The film won a Tribeca Film Award (Amazon Prime). Her section of the film, “The Secret Album,” tells her mother’s story of passing.
Gail’s many of years of teaching on the university level segued into a vibrant speaking career. She’s given numerous presentations at libraries, books groups, genealogical and historical organizations, and was on BBC World News, WGN-TV Morning News Show, WTTW’s Chicago Tonight and CBC Radio Canada, to name a few.
She’s also lectured on diversity and the writing process at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Kenyon College and Northwestern University. Her articles about coming to terms with her mixed-race identity were published in The Washington Post, Mic.com, Salon.com, Independent.co.uk, Upworthy, Mis. Magazine and The Daily Beast.
Wanting to return to her mystery roots, Gail wrote her fifth mystery, The Darkness Surrounds Us, a Gothic, historical mystery. Two historical events inspired the book—the 1918 Spanish flu and the rise of utopian communities in the 19th century.
Still an avid moviegoer, Gail lives in Libertyville, Illinois with her husband.