Valerie Wilson Wesley

Valerie Wilson Wesley (born November 22, 1947) is an African-American author of mysteries, adult-theme novels, and children's books, and a former executive editor of Essence magazine. She is the author of the Tamara Hayle mystery series. Her writings, both fiction and non-fiction, have also appeared in numerous publications, including Essence, Family Circle, TV Guide, Ms., The New York Times, and the Swiss weekly magazine Die Weltwoche.

Wesley grew up in Ashford, Connecticut. She graduated from Howard University and earned master's degrees from the Bank Street College of Education and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. A former resident of East Orange, New Jersey she now lives in Montclair, New Jersey with her two daughters and playwright husband Richard Wesley.