Sheley Homes was born in New Jersey in 1977 but grew up in Florida where she attended her College at University of Florida. She studied and taught in New Brunswick on a Commonwealth Scholarship to Canada. Since 2000 she has been teaching at the University of Florida. She is as an Associate Professor in English of that institution. She is also a critic, actress, playwright, storyteller, and a poet-reggae singer. Homes published her first book in 2000.