Lee Nichols was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and raised in Santa Barbara, California -- the setting of her first novel, Tales of a Drama Queen.

She attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she studied history and psychology. Her first job after college was as the receptionist for a private detective, which was the inspiration for one of her characters in Tales of a Drama Queen. She has also worked as a pizza chef, video imaging consultant and financial aid advisor.