Toby Neal

Toby Neal, an American author and blogger, writes mystery, suspense, and romance novels. Raised on Kauai, Hawaii, Neal's upbringing profoundly shapes her work, with the Hawaiian Islands often serving as the backdrop for her books. She began her professional path in journalism before moving into a career in mental health, a background she credits with enriching her character development. Her deep fascination with human stories and the inner workings of the mind informs the complexity of her protagonists, such as Detective Lei Texeira, and her villains. Her writing career launched in 2011 with *Blood Orchids*, a USA Today Bestseller that sold over 200,000 copies and established the 15-book Lei Crime series. Since then, Neal has expanded her bibliography to include the Paradise Crime Thrillers and Paradise Crime Cozy Mysteries, alongside young adult titles and memoirs such as *Freckled: A Memoir of Growing Up Wild in Hawaii*. A self-published author, she has sold more than one million copies worldwide and received both the Independent Publisher Book ("IPPY") and National Indie Excellence® awards. Beyond her novels, Neal also publishes content through her Substack publication, "PASSAGES: Travel the USA and more!", which chronicles her camping and travel experiences across the USA and Canada.