Lori Sandman was born and raised in Illinois, the youngest of four children. Her father worked as a college administrator and her mother a preschool teacher. After attending one year of college at Winona State, she transferred to Indiana University, earning her bachelor's degree in History with a minor in English. She married Norb Lyle in 1988, and the couple moved to California where their two daughters, Abby and Della were born. While their kids were still small, Lori went back to school, earning her Master's degree in psychology.