Lisa was brought up in Port Washington, Long Island. Her father was an artist, painter Frank Kleinholz, and her mother, Lidia, taught school. Her early years were spent in France, and she learned French along with English. Her family returned to the United States when she was four.

In her early childhood she fell in love with theater. She read hundreds of plays and had roles in community productions and summer stock. Acting taught her about dialogue, conflict, and scene structure. She went to Northwestern University with the intention of majoring in theater, but she soon realized that she enjoyed preparing the role more than being on stage, and she began to write.

Once she decided to become a novelist, it took her a long time to find her voice and develop her craft. In the meantime she learned ceramics at Earthworks & Artisans, a studio pottery on West 85th Street in Manhattan. She became a professional potter and ran the studio for several years.

Lisa wanted to create a female sleuth who reflected the demands that juggling children and career places on working mothers. Murderer or not, diapers have to be changed, kids have to be picked up from school, and dinner has to be on the table at six o'clock. Even if you have a fully involved partner, as Lisa does, managing job and family is a challenge.

She immersed Zoë in rock 'n' roll, because she loves music, and it gave her a great excuse to round out her collection and reread back issues of Rolling Stone and Spin. Not to mention being able to stretch out with her eyes closed and the headphones on and tell her kids that whatever they wanted would have to wait because "Mom is working."

Lisa wrote Exiles on Main Street with the help of two fellowships at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. After she finished the book, she spent two years peddling it to agents and nearly gave up.

Lisa attribute the sale to her younger daughter, who kept pestering her for a dog. Finally, in a moment of exasperation, Lisa told her she could have one if she sold a novel. After dozens of rejections this seemed a safe bet. Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, an agent called asking to read the book. After a revision, she sold it within a few weeks. Lisa now has a published book and Milo, a cute, bouncy bichon frise. At this point she feels that anyone who has successfully housetrained a puppy should find writing a mystery a breeze.