Nicolette Tal grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Santa Barbara, California. She received her undergraduate degree from Pomona College and her law degree from Santa Clara University, where she met her husband, Ron Ball. They lived and practiced law in the San Francisco Bay area, where their two children were born. In 1986, they moved to San Diego County. Nicolette obtained her scuba diving license as a prerequisite for her marriage license and enjoyed being Ron’s dive buddy until their children were big enough to take her place. She gave up her law practice in 1997, when she was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease. She lived at home in Solana Beach, where she remained involved with her family, book club, and other friends, and did a little writing until her death on August 30, 2004.