[1] She graduated from Portland's Lewis and Clark College in 1983 with a double major in English and Political Science and moved to the Twin Cities with her partner shortly after.

[2] Her work includes The Gun Series police novels, The Public Eye Mystery Series, four standalone drama/romances, two short story collections, the Lambda Literary finalist anthology The Milk of Human Kindness, and the World War II novel Snow Moon Rising, which won the 2007 Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award, a Goldie from the Golden Crown Literary Society, and The Alice B Readers Award.

[3] In concert with fellow writer/editor Jessie Chandler, Lake also won a 2016 Golden Crown Literary Award for the anthology Lesbians on the Loose: Crime Writers on the Lam.

[4] In recent years, Lake has become a mentor and coach to many young and aspiring writers, especially through her work at The Loft Literary Center,[5] the Portland Lesbian Writers Group,[6] and the Oregon Writers Colony,[7] and in her work as an organizer of writing retreats or as program director of literary conferences, particularly for the Golden Crown Literary Society[8] from which she received the Directors' Award in 2012 for her co-founding the organization and coordinating conferences and events from 2004 to 2012.

Lake also commenced publishing the work of others in 2014 upon opening Launch Point Press[9] in Portland, Oregon.