Jo A. Totty grew up on a small, rural farm in Middle Tennessee. She began to write short stories and poems at the age of thirteen. Mysteries soon became her favorite books.

After her retirement from the local Educational System she devoted more time to writing. The International Library of Poetry has published several of her poems.

Her life-long dream has been to one day become a published author. She had an idea for the book in her mind for a while and she began to write it down. At the age of seventy, The Elusive Toad is her first book.