Before I landed my dream job, I worked in public education for twenty-nine years.

While working for public schools, I ran for and was elected to the school board in my hometown. Small town politics was enlightening. Six years into the school board position a school employee gunned down a beloved principal in his office, he'd been a friend to everyone. The loss felt by the school district and community was tremendous. This traumatic event, my work experience, and my true-crime research provide inspiration for my novels.