Sheila Turnage
Sheila Turnage grew up on a family farm in North Carolina near Tupelo Landing, where the Mo & Dale Mysteries are set, and a couple hours from Hatteras Island, where Island of Spies takes place. She decided to become a writer in first grade, when she wrote her first story. She attended East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina and earned a degree in anthropology.
Turnage has written books for adults, poetry, magazine articles, but she says “writing for kids is the best. Characters like Mo and Dale, and Stick, Neb and Rain are fun to write. They’re smart, funny and brave.”
She still lives on the farm she grew up on, along with her husband, Rodney, their dog Callie, a flock of chickens, a bossy goose, and a couple of sweet-faced goats.

Sheila Turnage grew up on a family farm in North Carolina near Tupelo Landing, where the Mo & Dale Mysteries are set, and a couple hours from Hatteras Island, where Island of Spies takes place. She decided to become a writer in first grade, when she wrote her first story. She attended East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina and earned a degree in anthropology.
Turnage has written books for adults, poetry, magazine articles, but she says “writing for kids is the best. Characters like Mo and Dale, and Stick, Neb and Rain are fun to write. They’re smart, funny and brave.”
She still lives on the farm she grew up on, along with her husband, Rodney, their dog Callie, a flock of chickens, a bossy goose, and a couple of sweet-faced goats.