Nichelle grew up in the small island community of Alameda in Northern California. She drew on the rich history of the island, and the San Francisco Bay Area, to write The Dying Ground and the sequel, The Last King. Tramble was shortlisted for the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation's Legacy Award, and garnered unanimous praise from such places as the Boston Globe, New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle. The Dying Ground was also named a Best Book of 2001 by the Chicago Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle, and a Top Ten Reviewers Pick by the Boston Phoenix. Tramble is the recipient of Writer-in-Residence Fellowships from both the Edward J. Albee Foundation in Montauk, New York and the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming. Currently, Nichelle is a staff writer for the new ABC series WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB starring Angie Harmon.