Tyler Martin Hanley was born in San Francisco, California. He attended Foothill College, where he studied creative writing and philosophy. He credits his interest in writing to his mother, Cleva, an avid reader; his father, William, a psychologist and science-fiction enthusiast; and his high school English teacher, O.C. Guinn, who taught him to appreciate every word. He excelled in English and Drama while attending high school and college. Tyler and his identical twin brother, Nathan, were influenced and inspired by comic books, film and pop culture from a young age.


     After college, Tyler pursued acting and filmmaking. He attended the acclaimed American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, earning high marks in the school’s rigorous Summer Training Congress. He and Nathan collaborated on five short films and four independent feature films. Among their credits are the thriller “Rehearsal” (2006) and the mystery/drama “Table for Six” (2010), which Tyler co-wrote and co-directed.

     At the age of 24, Tyler began working at the Palo Alto Weekly, a highly respected community newspaper in Palo Alto, California. He had very little experience in journalism at the time and was mentored by editor Jay Thorwaldson. The two developed a strong working relationship and were nicknamed “Gandalf and Frodo” for their mutual appreciation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” novels. Tyler went on to write and edit numerous film reviews, opinion columns and feature stories for the Weekly and its sister publications. He was honored with the 2006 Rusty van Bronkhorst Award and earned awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Peninsula Press Club for his work.


     It was during this time he began outlining “Firewalkers,” his debut novel. He has written poetry and several short stories, including “Hail Storms & Sheep Humor” and “Thrill Seeker.” He is currently working on his second novel, “Welcome to Atlantis.” His literary influences include Tolkien, Stephen King, William Goldman and Edgar Allan Poe.