Barbara Colley

Barbara Ann Logan Colley (born July 26, 1947) is a romance and mystery novelist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her recent work is centered on the fictitious "Charlotte LaRue", the subject of a series of mysteries. She has written more than a dozen novels which have been published in some seventeen languages. Sometimes she writes under the name "Anne Logan". Her 2009 book Wash and Die is available in paperback. In 2010, she released Dusted to Death.

Colley was born in Ringgold in Bienville Parish in North Louisiana to Charles Logan and the former Doris B. Wilson (1927-2016), who was a later resident of Heflin in Webster Parish. Doris, a native of Center, Texas, worked at the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant during World War II and later the West Brothers Department Store, Bell Telephone, and the Webster Parish School Board office.

Mrs. Colley was reared primarily in Minden in Webster Parish. She graduated in 1965 from Minden High School along with her future husband, Alfred David Colley (born April 20, 1947). At MHS she played in the "All District Band" of the Louisiana Music Educators Association. She attended, first, Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, the seat of Lincoln Parish, and, then, Nicholls State University in Thibodaux in Lafourche Parish in south Louisiana, having majored in music education. It was while she was at Tech that Colley made her first trip to New Orleans, not having realized at the time that she would live most of her life within twenty miles (32 km) of the city. At the time, she expected to become a band director. The Colleys moved to Luling in St. Charles Parish in the Orleans suburbs. They have three children and at least a half dozen grandchildren.

Colley turned to writing to put to use what she calls her "healthy dose of imagination as well as the belief that I could do anything I wanted to do if I set my mind to it." Living near New Orleans gave her ideas for writing. "I truly love living near New Orleans. With its unique Creole French and Spanish influence, it's such a unique and interesting city. Strolling through the historical French Quarter or the lush Garden District is one of my favorite pastimes. The city is well over two hundred years old, but each time that I visit, I find something new and fascinating."

Her writing initially originated from her daughter's interest in Harlequin romance novels. Colley said that she became convinced she too could write such a novel: "Believing I could write a book was half the battle. Actually writing one and getting published was the other half."

Colley's awards include the 2003 "Reviewer's Choice Award for Best First Mystery", the 1996 "Distinguished Artist Award" because of her contribution to the literary arts in Louisiana, and the 1992 Oklahoma Romance Writers of America National Reader's Choice" for her romantic suspense novel Gulf Breezes.

Colley once worked as a line dispatcher in the former Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant and edited the classified advertising section of the Minden Press-Herald newspaper. Yet, she declares that her best job is being a published author because she can "share my stories, whether they are romances or mysteries, with thousands of wonderful readers all over the world."

On April 7, 2008, Colley underwent surgery for cancer. Her husband, David, reported that the prognosis was encouraging for her complete recovery.