Karlyle Tomms is a writer who grew up in rural Ozarks poverty. He completed his master’s degree in 1981. He has written for different regional magazines and newspapers over the years, and has often been selected to speak at both professional and non-professional events, as well as radio talk shows. However, he had never published fiction until completing his first novel in 2014. His general method for fiction has been to define a character and allow that character to tell his or her own story from first person perspective as though the character is writing an autobiography. Through his characters he explores the psychology of the human condition as well as the various elements and entanglements of personalities. His novels incorporate the social and historical influences surrounding the lifetimes of his characters, and are stories of overcoming social, emotional and spiritual challenges. His Debut novel, "Confessions from the Pumpkin Patch" won the 2016 New Apple Awards Medal for general fiction as a coming of age story.
