I have a college diploma in criminology, but prefer to write about crime than work in the justice system. Fiction offers nice, tidy endings where justice is served.

I've loved writing and reading since childhood. Mystery and suspense were my favorite stories and still are, although I enjoy lots of other genres and poetry.

In childhood, Nancy Drew mysteries inspired my appetite for mysteries, but books like To Kill a Mockingbird inspired a deep appreciation and longing to write well, something I still struggle with after nearly 30 years of trying.

I've also published more than a hundred short stories, personal essays, and articles. I guess the most famous publication would be Chicken Soup for the Bride's Soul, where my essay "My Big, Fat Pig Wedding" appeared.

My mysteries, TAXED TO DEATH and FATAL ENCRYPTION feature young, tax auditor Alex Bellamy, whose love life never goes quite the way he wants it to.

My ideas come from real life: newspapers, volunteer work, day-jobs, my community, and my family, although as far as I know none of them are criminals.