Pleased to Meet You!

I so honored and delighted to be making my debut here among Writers Who Kill. In the spirit of getting to know each other, I decided to share some of the things that make me who I am (as if that photo of me with a plastic orange assault rifle doesn't tell you enough).

1. Before I became a full-time mystery writer, I worked as a high school English teacher, a newspaper editor back in my tiny Southern hometown, a freshman composition instructor, and a professional Girl Scout. So believe me when I say that I understand homicidal tendencies.

2. I am also a tarot reader, although no longer professionally. I still enjoy reading for friends and family, however, and also for myself. And my characters. Boy, do my characters need guidance.

Book Five! Coming in April!

3. I currently write the Tai Randolph/Trey Seaver mysteries with Poisoned Pen Press (that's the cover to the next book in the series over there to the right). Tai runs a Kennesaw, Georgia, gun shop that caters to Civil War reenactors. Trey is a former SWAT sniper recovering from a TBI (a Traumatic Brain Injury). They are partners in both crime solving and romance, and as such, definitely need those tarot readings.

Haunted Savannah Streetlight

4. I live near Savannah, Georgia, reported to be one of the most haunted cities in the country. And though I've toured every haunted inn and restaurant and brew pub and restroom and tree and cemetery in town, I have yet to see a ghost.

5. I have, however, seen a UFO.

Baboons! How sweet, you say. Ha.

6. Also, I am one of the small subset of Americans who have been attacked by baboons.

7. I am an advanced open water scuba diver (wreck diving being my favorite, although my favorite dive of all time was a shark dive in the Bahamas. The baboons were scarier than those sharks.)

8. My redneck credentials are firmly established. I can shoot a shotgun, bake hoecake, catch a catfish with my bare hands, and drive a stick shift. I own chickens and overalls and cast iron skillets, and the Southern storytelling gene runs strong through my DNA. Even the pots and pans in my house have stories.

George getting ready to meet me

9. My bucket list includes going on an Alaskan cruise, bicycling through wine country in France, and meeting George Hamilton.

10. I once almost ran over Clint Eastwood. True story. His bodyguard probably still talks about that crazy redneck lady.

And that's me in a nutshell. Very pleased to make your acquaintance. Why don't you share something about yourself in the comments so that I can get to know you better? And thanks for stopping by!