Nikki Peoples was raised in Salinas, CA until the 4^th grade, and then her family moved to Milpitas, CA where she remained until graduation from high school.

After high school, she attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served on active duty for 16 years during which time she traveled all over the U.S. and to more than 20 different countries. After 20 years of service, Nikki retired from Navy. She currently owns a clinic in Knoxville where she works as an acupuncturist.

Throughout her life, Nikki has been an athlete. Much of her experiences with sports and martial arts inform her writing. Nikki has studied Shotokan and Tang Soo Do Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Yang Style Tai Chi, Budokon Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at various stages in her life. In high school she played basketball, track, volleyball, field hockey and swimming. She was introduced to rugby in college and played for over a decade after college. Through her rugby connections, she was introduced to Australian Rules Football and subsequently played for the U.S. Women’s National Team for several years. After retiring from contact sports altogether she started practicing jiu jitsu. She currently holds a purple belt in jiu jitsu and plays recreational ultimate frisbee.

Her parents passed down their wanderlust and appreciation of sports as well as their love of movies and books. Consequently, Nikki is a cinephile and a voracious reader of fiction. Her favorite movie is Aliens, and she loves to hunker down with a good romance or fantasy fiction novel in her free time.