Lori Sandman was born and raised in Illinois, the youngest of four children. Her father worked as a college administrator and her mother a preschool teacher. After attending one year of college at Winona State, she transferred to Indiana University, earning her bachelor's degree in History with a minor in English. She married Norb Lyle in 1988, and the couple moved to California where their two daughters, Abby and Della were born. While their kids were still small, Lori went back to school, earning her Master's degree in psychology. Lori Lyle worked for seventeen years as a therapist, where she developed a deep understanding of human behavior and the human condition. Along with Gallup, she now has Glass Cages in post production and three feature length scripts to her name, with several more waiting in the wings.