About
Retired Lawyer. Artist. Author of 60 Books.
I’m an author of cozy mysteries, later‑in‑life romance, playful trivia and road‑trip games, and more than 60 encouraging nonfiction books. Under the pen name Tonya Curtis, I write lighthearted, dog‑loving mysteries (including a dual‑timeline series and interactive whodunits). As Tasha Madison, I create funny, clean, slow‑burn romances where grown‑ups get second chances. As Tera Leigh, I design downloadable HTML/PDF mystery games, trivia collections, and activity books that invite readers to solve clues, argue over answers, and play together.
60+
30 years
Experience as a Teacher
Books currently in print
Tera Leigh
My Story
A former attorney and longtime creative entrepreneur, I speak on creativity, story and games, and navigating new tools without losing your voice. I also coach writers who feel stuck, helping them turn “someday I’ll write this” into finished books and interactive projects.
Alongside my fiction and games, I write step‑by‑step nonfiction that helps real people through real seasons—goal‑setting and life organization, recovering from depression, getting creatively unstuck, and learning new tools without overwhelm. Encouragement and clarity are the through‑lines in everything I create.
Before stepping fully into this work, I practiced law and later ran a technology company, taught New Media Marketing through UCLA Extension, and helped people understand the early waves of digital change. That experience left me with a deep respect for clear thinking, practical structure, and the way small decisions shape big stories—skills that now show up in tight plots, well‑designed games, and usable frameworks in my books.
Today, I speak at events and conferences on topics like interactive mysteries and story‑based games, later‑in‑life romance, turning history and pop culture into playful experiences, and finding your creative voice again after hard seasons. I also coach writers who feel stuck or overwhelmed, helping them clarify their ideas, build a structure that fits their lives, and move from “someday I’ll write this” to a finished book or game.
Whether I’m writing a cozy mystery, designing a road‑trip trivia game, or walking beside a writer through their first draft, my goal is the same: to leave people feeling more capable, more creative, and a little more hopeful about what comes next.
