Some places feel cinematic the moment you step into them, and Italy—oh, Italy—is one of them. When I visited Milan, wandered through the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, and later wound my way up toward Lake Como, I wasn’t just sightseeing. I was collecting pieces of a story that would become Redwood File.

In this romantic suspense tale, Hollywood heartthrob Derrek Redwood trades the red carpet for Renaissance history as he films an epic remake of the Golden Fleece. To safeguard him from what appears to be a growing stalker threat, rookie bodyguard Sierra Cavendish goes undercover as his memoirist. But what begins as a security assignment spirals into a tangled chase involving a secret diary, long-lost Da Vinci clues, and danger as beautiful—and deadly—as northern Italy’s scenery.

Milan — Glamour Meets Mystery
Milan is a city with layers—fashion-forward modernity gliding effortlessly over centuries of art and intrigue. Street cafés buzz with conversation and espresso steam, elegant boutiques line cobblestone walkways, and tucked between sleek architecture stand remnants of Renaissance genius.

Walking through the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, I was struck by how Da Vinci felt everywhere—his engineering marvels, sketches, flying machines, and inventions whispering of puzzles waiting to be solved. That spark ignited the treasure thread in Redwood File: a secret belonging to Derrek’s late mother, embedded in her diary, holding clues to a long-lost Da Vinci legacy.

Sierra may be pretending to record Derrek’s life story, but the pages she really seeks are those that history lost—pages some would kill to find.

Lake Como — Beauty With a Chase Scene
Then there’s Lake Como, where the mountains fold into glittering water like nature’s own amphitheater. Villas perch on hillsides, gardens bloom in impossible colors, and the lake’s surface shimmers like polished glass—until the moment danger breaks it.

I drove those roads, awed by the winding shoreline and dramatic tunnels carved into stone. In the book, serenity shatters as Sierra and Derrek navigate a harrowing car chase through tight lake roads and cliffside curves. Engine roaring, tires gripping ancient pavement, the lake becomes both witness and accomplice to their escape. Beauty makes the danger sharper, the stakes higher, and the romance more electric.

Golden Fleece Glamour & Secret Shadows
As Derrek films his role chasing a mythical treasure, real treasure becomes the true hunt. Between red-carpet charm and paparazzi flashbulbs lies a far more ancient story—one stitched into Da Vinci’s brilliance and a mother’s secrets. Sierra is no starry-eyed fan; she’s sharp, strategic, and utterly unprepared for how deeply she begins to care for the man she was hired to protect.

Italy’s romance and shadow play fit them perfectly:

• Milan’s elegance for glitz and buried genius
• Da Vinci’s legacy for riddles and danger
• Lake Como’s sweeping drama for chase scenes and emotional stakes
  
  

Where art meets ambition, and love ignites in the spaces between danger…that’s where Redwood File lives.
​
Pack your virtual passport—because some treasures don’t glitter in gold; they beat in the hearts of those brave enough to chase truth and love at once. 🇮🇹❤️🔐

Norse mythology has always captivated me—its fierce gods, haunting landscapes, and sprawling cosmology full of monsters, giants, prophecies, and doomed destinies. There’s something both wild and intimate about Norse lore, where family betrayals, world-ending battles, and magical bloodlines weave together into stories that feel ancient… yet eerily modern.

So naturally, I wrote my own twist on it. My Shadow Guardians Trilogy is an urban fantasy romantic suspenseadventure where Ragnarok already happened, humanity survived, and over thousands of years the bloodlines of gods, giants, and monsters quietly mixed with mortals. Now, three sisters—with their future partners at their sides—discover they’ve inherited ancient magic and an even older war. Their destiny? To stop the reincarnation of Hel and her diabolic mission.

But before I dive into how that world came to life, here are some of my favorite Norse mythology fun facts that helped inspire the series.

❄️ Fun Fact #1: Ragnarok Isn’t the End—It’s a Beginning
Many myths end with destruction, but in Norse lore, Ragnarok is a cycle. After the world burns and floods, new land rises, survivors repopulate the world, and forgotten magic stirs again.
This cyclical idea became the heartbeat of my trilogy.
In my world:

• Ragnarok already happened
• The gods fell
• Magic scattered into the blood of humanity
• Thousands of years later, that dormant power begins to wake

🔥 Fun Fact #2: Hel Is More Complicated Than “Just a Villain”
Hel, daughter of Loki, rules the underworld and oversees the dead who did not die in battle. She’s often portrayed as half-alive, half-corpse—a symbol of duality. In the myths, she isn’t pure evil; she’s a necessary force.
But in my trilogy, the reincarnation of Hel has a new agenda: Raise an army of the undead and finish what Ragnarok started.
She becomes a multi-layered antagonist—part tragic, part terrifying, fully determined to end Midgard as it should have ended millenia ago.
Hel is not just a villain—she is the shadow the entire trilogy fights to outrun.

🪓 Fun Fact #3: Norse Gods Were… Not Subtle
Thor smashed giants with a hammer.
Freyja collected the dead for battle.
Loki shapeshifted into everything from a salmon to a pregnant mare.
Odin traded an eye for wisdom.
Norse magic is bold, visceral, and elemental.
My trilogy leans into this intensity:

• Raine, the eldest sister, inherits battling skills.
• Storm, the middle sister, channels seismic strength and earth-shaping resilience.
• Sky, the youngest, wields illusion, shadow, and truth-bending sight.

Their magic isn’t delicate—it’s wild, powerful, and sometimes dangerous to wield.
Just like the gods they descended from.

🧊 Fun Fact #4: The Nine Realms Are All Connected by Yggdrasil
In the myths, Yggdrasil—an immense ash tree—links every world. Its roots and branches stretch into realms of light, fire, mist, giants, gods, and the dead.
I loved this idea of interconnected worlds.
In my trilogy:

• cracks between realms appear
• ancient creatures slip through
• long-buried magic resurfaces
  the sisters must cross between worlds as the barriers weaken

🦊 Fun Fact #5: Shapeshifters & Magical Creatures Were Everywhere
Loki wasn’t the only shapeshifter.
Norse myths include:

• wolves
• ravens
• serpents
• dwarves
• giants
• elemental spirits
• creatures born of fire and ice

This gave me creative freedom to build Hel’s undead army and the mythical creatures the sisters face—twisted echoes of Norse beasts adapted to a modern world.
And, of course, their love interests each hold a sliver of mythic magic too—complements, foils, and partners in both danger and desire.
​
⚔️ How It All Comes Together in the Shadow Guardians Trilogy
Imagine:

• a modern world on the brink
• ancient magic awakening in unexpected places
• three sisters discovering their bloodline ties back to the gods
• love interests who bring strength, steadiness, and irresistible tension
  Hel reborn with a monstrous army
• battles waged in volcanic valleys, shadowed forests, and crumbling borders between realms
• romance woven through danger, prophecy, and betrayal

The trilogy blends:

• Norse mythology
• urban fantasy adventure
• romantic suspense
• found family bonds
• apocalyptic stakes

At its core, it’s a story about destiny—chosen, inherited, and reclaimed.
The sisters aren’t just saving the world.
They’re rewriting a myth.

Writing may be my world, but visual creativity is my sister’s. She’s an incredibly talented graphic designer who now runs her own design team. She’s the kind of designer who can take a concept, a mood, or a scribbled idea and turn it into something polished, artistic, and meaningful.
Over the years, her talent has slipped more deeply into my work than even she may realize. From maps to book catalogs to character inspiration, her eye for detail and visual storytelling has influenced both my writing and the worlds I build. In Meridian File and Michelle’s Miracle, her creative spirit became part of my characters’ artistic identities.
This is the story of how her artistry helped shape mine.

🎨 My Sister’s Designs Behind the Scenes
I’ve been lucky to collaborate with my sister on a variety of projects—each one combining her visual creativity with my stories:
• Maps for My Worlds
When I needed maps—intricate, aesthetic, and evocative—my sister brought them to life. Her designs helped readers visualize the geography, the stakes, and the journeys written across my pages. (see map at top)
• My Book Catalog
Most recently, she created a gorgeous, streamlined book catalog for me. A catalog might sound simple on the surface, but her version turned into a visual story of my writing career—clean layouts, compelling images, and branding that feels cohesive and professional.
It’s one of those behind-the-scenes tools that makes authors look far more organized than we feel.

🎾 Graphic Design Meets Fiction: Amon in Meridian File
In Meridian File, one of the central characters, Aurora, is a graphic designer nearing the end of her tennis career and preparing to transition into art full-time. Her character was deeply inspired by watching my sister build her own graphic design career—balancing creativity, business, and passion.
Amon designs:

• wine labels for her family
• business cards for Maxine Rider
  and dreams of a life where her artistic voice becomes her full-time calling

It was a joy to write her because I could draw from a real-life example of artistic grit and success. Aurora’s love of color, layout, branding, and creative problem-solving all trace back to traits I’ve admired in my sister for years.

🎨 Art Inspiring Fiction: Michelle’s Miracle
In Michelle’s Miracle, a novella in Romancing the Spirit, the main character is an artist whose emotional and spiritual journey intertwines with her creative one. While crafting Michelle’s character, I drew heavily from the energy, focus, and artistic presence my sister embodies.
Michelle paints emotion, creating beauty from chaos. She sees the world differently—through hue, line, texture, and possibility.
Those traits come from years of watching my sister start with a blank canvas—literal or digital—and transform it into something that breathes.
​
👩‍🎨 Creative Talent Runs In the Family… Even If It Shows Up Differently
My sister paints with pixels and color palettes. I paint with words and worlds.
But creativity is creativity—and having an artist in the family has shaped:

• my characters
• my storytelling
• my understanding of visual composition
• my appreciation for the design elements that accompany books (covers, maps, branding)

Even the way I think about scenes—imagining framing, contrast, light, texture—owes something to years spent watching her create.

Before I was a physician, before I was a novelist weaving romance, danger, and adventure together—I was a paramedic.
Two years of intensive training, an associate degree, certification exams, and long shifts working through college shaped my worldview in ways I didn’t fully appreciate until many years later. The paramedic life is a strange mix of adrenaline and stillness, heartbreak and humanity. You see people on their worst days, and you learn quickly who you are when seconds matter.
Those experiences found their way into my writing—sometimes without me realizing it until a character came alive on the page with instincts, compassion, trauma, or grit that looked suspiciously like my past.
Here are a few places where the paramedic in me stepped out of memory and into fiction.
🚑 Rico in Cabrera File: Quick Thinking with a Big Heart
Rico didn’t start out as a character inspired by my paramedic days, but the moment he showed up on the page, he felt familiar. His compassion with victims, the way he always scans a room for danger or injury, the quiet confidence he uses to calm Diz during their frantic search for her kidnapped roommate… those traits come straight from the ambulance.
Paramedics learn:

• how to stay calm when emotions spike
• how to think two steps ahead while acting in the moment
• how to speak softly in a world full of chaos
• how to care for strangers without hesitation

Rico embodies all of that. He knows how to anchor others in crisis because he’s been forged by crisis. Writing him felt like returning to an old part of myself—one who ran into danger with a medical bag instead of a pen.
🚑 Raymond & Cathy in McMillan File: Street Medicine, Street Pain
Inner city EMTs and paramedics carry a particular weight—the weight of crime scenes, drug houses, domestic violence calls, and overdoses where you never forget the faces. Raymond and Cathy were inspired by the medics I knew and worked alongside.
Raymond. He’s bitter when we meet him—burned out, jaded, carrying anger that masks unresolved grief. Many real medics hit that wall. The job demands heart, but sometimes it breaks the very heart you give.
His arc is about rediscovering compassion… and finding someone who believes he can.
Cathy. She’s steady, warm, and quietly resilient. She sees Raymond slipping and refuses to let him drown in cynicism. She reminds him why he started this work in the first place: to help people, not judge them.
Their dynamic comes straight from ambulance life—the way partners become lifelines, mirrors, and sometimes the only person who truly understands what you carry after a twelve-hour shift.
💔 Terrible Tragedies, Incredible Moments
Being a paramedic meant witnessing some awful things—accidents, violence, loss that stays with you. But in the middle of those tragedies were moments of astonishing grace:

• a patient holding my hand in the ambulance because they were scared
  a family’s relief when their loved one woke up
• the quiet pride of knowing we made a difference, even when outcomes weren’t perfect

Those contrasts--darkness and light—cemented my commitment to medicine. I learned that healing isn’t always about curing. Sometimes it’s simply showing up when someone needs you most.
That emotional balance bleeds into my fiction. My characters fight, rescue, grieve, hope, and love because that’s what real people do, even in crisis.
🏥 The ER Showdown in McMillan File: Truth Wrapped in Fiction
One of my favorite behind-the-scenes stories is the scene where Raymond clashes with Dr. David Rider in the ER. Raymond calls in with a patient, confident in his street assessment and intended plan. Dr. Rider—sharp-edged, exhausted, and slightly arrogant—challenges him.
This exact dynamic is one I lived.
There’s sometimes tension between medics and ER physicians:

• who sees what
  who knows what
  who trusts whom

In the book, their initial interaction is bristling and skeptical. But when they end up delivering a baby in a cramped, dangerous apartment (pure fiction—but inspired by real-life “anything can happen” calls), they forge a bond built of adrenaline, trust, and shared purpose.
That’s the beauty of emergency work: pressure reveals character—sometimes good, sometimes messy, always real.
🔥 Fiction Born from Real-World Grit
My paramedic years were filled with long nights, broken hearts, moments of triumph, and flashes of deep humanity. Those years gave me:

• insight into trauma
• respect for first responders
• understanding of how people act under pressure
• a blueprint for how heroes rise—not with capes, but with courage

And those lessons walk beside every character I write—from Rico’s calm bravery to Raymond’s redemption to the life-and-death realism echoed in medical scenes throughout my books.
Being a paramedic didn’t just shape my writing.
It shaped me, and through me, every story I tell.

Louisiana will always hold a special place in my heart. I lived there from 4th grade through high school graduation, and later returned for paramedic school, spending two years immersed once again in the culture, rhythm, and spirit of the Deep South. It’s a state that imprints on you—lush, humid, fragrant, musical, mysterious, and endlessly alive.

Between rural southern Louisiana with its Creole flair and the energetic sprawl of Baton Rouge—a city built on grit, tradition, and good cheer (especially when LSU is winning!)—I grew up surrounded by stories begging to be told.

So when I wrote Allison’s Alibi, it felt only natural to return to the bayous, the French Quarter, and the Cajun countryside for inspiration. Louisiana’s rich flavors and shadows made the perfect backdrop for a romantic suspense with a paranormal twist.

Here’s the real-life Louisiana that helped build the fictional world of Allison’s Alibi.

🐊 Swamps, Spirits & Alligators: The Rural Heart of Louisiana
Living in rural southern Louisiana meant experiencing life closer to nature—and closer to mystery.

• I rowed a boat through alligator-infested waters, the surface rippling with quiet danger.
• I tasted the heat and sweetness of fresh crawfish boils surrounded by laughter, music, and the spice of Cajun cooking.
• I visited the Tabasco factory on Avery Island, where barrels of pepper mash ferment into the iconic Louisiana staple.
  I even toured the old leper colony in Carville, a historical site both heartbreaking and profoundly human.
  
  

These places shaped my understanding of Louisiana as a land where stories cling to every moss-draped branch and muddy bank. That eerie beauty and lived memory became the atmospheric backbone of Allison’s Alibi—a place where danger and destiny meet in equal measure.

🎭 The Magic & Mystery of New Orleans
Some of my favorite memories come from the city where history and celebration dance together:

• Beignets at Café du Monde, warm and powdered-sugar perfect
• Jackson Square, bursting with local artists, fortune tellers, and vibrant creativity
• The French Quarter, a maze of wrought iron balconies, ghost stories, jazz clubs, and secrets
  
  

New Orleans doesn’t just entertain—it enchants. And that enchantment flows straight into the book.

In Allison’s Alibi, the French Quarter’s haunting charm echoes through the psychic detective’s gifts, the ghost of Allison’s father, and the whispers of danger around every corner.

💜 Baton Rouge: Home of Grit, Gumbo, and Tiger Pride
Baton Rouge has personality. Big personality.
I spent years there for paramedic school, absorbing the energy of a city where:

• football ties the community together
• food brings families to the table
• and hospitality softens even the hardest days

The city’s atmosphere influenced the sharper edges of Allison’s Alibi—the police procedural elements, the academic world Allison inhabits as a researcher, and the simmering tension beneath the surface of everyday life.

🔮 How Louisiana Became the Soul of Allison’s Alibi
The story follows Allison, a researcher whose colleague is murdered—leaving her with no alibi and mounting evidence pointing her way. Louisiana’s mystique offered the perfect setting for a suspense story tinged with paranormal threads.
Enter: 
1) A psychic detective with seductive Southern flair Inspired by the charm and depth I saw in many Louisianans—equal parts easygoing and inscrutable.
2) The ghost of Allison’s father, a spectral presence shaped by Louisiana’s long tradition of reverence for the dead, spiritual storytelling, and the blurred line between this world and the next.
3) A killer hiding beneath Southern politeness. Because Louisiana hospitality is legendary… but its shadows are deep.

In this book, Louisiana is more than a location—it’s a character. It’s the humidity clinging to each scene, the heat fueling tension, the music vibrating beneath fear, the flavors woven into emotional beats, and the mystery rising from the swamp like morning fog.

​Writing Allison’s Alibi allowed me to relive the Louisiana I loved, feared, explored, and grew up in. It felt like coming home—but with a fictional twist and a dead body.

​Allison's Alibi

When I created Sierra Cavendish—the sharp, determined rookie bodyguard in Redwood File—I knew I wanted her to feel distinct from the typical action-hero mold. One small detail became surprisingly important: Sierra is left-handed.

As soon as I made that choice, I realized something… writing a left-handed character in an action-heavy romantic thriller meant real research. Not just “she uses her left hand,” but how that affects firearms, hand-to-hand combat, driving, tools, and everyday movements most right-handers never think about.
​
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what I discovered—and how it shaped Sierra’s training, challenges, and triumphs.

1. Firearms: Ejection, Safety, and the Face-Full-of-Brass Problem
Most standard handguns are built for right-handed shooters. That means the spent cartridge ejects to the right--directly across the shooter’s face if they’re left-handed.
For Sierra, that created two issues:
A. Brass to the face - Hot brass can hit the cheek, forehead, or even land inside a shirt collar (ouch). Left-handed shooters must adjust their stance or choose a firearm with ambidextrous or left-side ejection.
B. Magazine release & safety placement - Many pistols place these on the left side of the gun—perfect for right-hand thumb use, awkward for left-handers.
In Redwood File, Sierra trains on a firearm designed for ambidextrous handling so her muscle memory works under stress. It also reinforces that she’s had to overcome non-obvious challenges to rise in a profession built for right-handers.

2. Hand-to-Hand Combat: Stance, Surprise Advantage & Tactical Imbalance
Left-handed fighters have quirks—and hidden advantages.
A. The southpaw stance - In boxing, martial arts, and defensive tactics, a left-handed fighter leads with their right side forward. This throws off opponents accustomed to right-hand dominance.
Sierra uses this to her benefit: Her “mirror stance” can create openings, force attackers to hesitate, or disrupt their rhythm.
B. Weapon retention and disarming - In training scenarios, instructors often default to right-handed attacks. Left-handers must mentally rewrite techniques so:

• grips reverse
• leverage changes
• spins & pivots start from the opposite side

3. Driving: Left-Hand Dominance in an Automatic
Most of us don’t think twice about driving automatic cars—but handedness still matters when your character is:

• performing evasive maneuvers
  firing from inside a vehicle
• steering one-handed
• switching quickly between steering wheel and gear selector

For a lefty bodyguard:
A. Steering control - Left-hand dominant drivers may instinctively steer with their left hand—leaving their right hand free for other tasks in high-pressure situations.
B. Door exits & weapon draw - A left-handed draw inside a car is more restricted—seat belts, consoles, and doors can interfere. Bodyguards train around this, but it’s a real-world consideration that shapes choreography.
C. Mirror orientation - Left-eye dominance (common in left-handers) affects rear-view scanning patterns, influencing how Sierra checks her surroundings.

Character-Driven Impact
Giving Sierra left-handedness wasn’t a gimmick—it became a foundational part of her identity:

• She learned everything the hard way.
• She adapted when instructors didn’t accommodate her.
• She built strength from inconvenience.
• She discovered tactical advantages hidden in being “the odd one out.”

Her handedness symbolizes how she moves through the world—not quite following the expected path, yet turning every disadvantage into quiet strength.

Why Atlanta Became Home to the Rider Team
Atlanta has been a recurring stop in my life—an energetic, sprawling Southern city I’ve visited more times than I can count. It’s a place steeped in culture, charm, grit, and international reach, blending modern skyscrapers with tree-lined neighborhoods, luxury dining with hole-in-the-wall gems, and small-town warmth with global influence.
So when I began crafting my romantic suspense series, The Rider Files, it wasn’t long before Atlanta became the perfect home base for Rider Security and Investigation. And the story behind choosing Atlanta is almost as fun as the series itself.

🍷 A Glass of Wine, a Conversation, and the Birth of the Rider Team
Years ago, over a quiet evening and a glass of wine, I told my husband I wanted to write a romantic suspense series centered on strong female characters—women who take charge, solve crimes, fall in love, and save lives.

He listened, smiled, and said, “Let’s build you a team.” That night, Rider Security and Investigation was born—named after Maxine Rider, retired Marine who built her company around diverse specialists and rooted it in a city big enough to house all their high-stakes missions.

My husband is from Atlanta, so as we talked, he sprinkled in stories, favorite spots, traffic disasters, hidden gems, and local color that helped shape the fictional landscape. It became a beautiful melding of memory, imagination, and partnership.

🌐 Why Atlanta Was the Perfect Setting for Rider Security
1. An International Hub
With Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—one of the busiest airports in the world—the city provides seamless access for Rider’s operatives to jet off to trouble spots in:

• Europe
• Africa
• South America
• The West Coast
• The Caribbean
  
  

It made perfect sense for a private security firm with global clients and international missions.

2. A Blend of Grit and Glamour
Atlanta offers the right mix for suspense:

• sleek high-rises
• winding neighborhoods
• forested outskirts
• historic pockets
• gritty back alleys
• polished corporate districts
  
  

It’s a city of layers—ideal for chases, stakeouts, romantic interludes, and clandestine meetings.

3. Personal Connection
Being married to an Atlantan means Atlanta never feels generic to me. It feels lived-in. Loved. Familiar. And that authenticity trickles into the pages—locations feel real because they are real.

🍔 Favorite Atlanta Landmarks I’ve Featured (or Should!)
One of the best perks of setting a series in a city I know is weaving in the iconic spots I’ve visited, revisited, and fallen in love with.
✨ The Varsity
“What’ll ya have?”
A classic Atlanta staple—perfect for quick bites, undercover meets, or lighthearted moments between tense scenes.
✨ Bones Restaurant
Elegant, old-school, and the perfect place for Rider operatives to celebrate victories or conduct discreet negotiations over a world-class steak.
✨ Georgia Aquarium
With its breathtaking whale sharks and ethereal underwater tunnels, it provides the perfect backdrop for introspective scenes… or meet-cutes.
✨ World of Coca-Cola
A fun, colorful stop that blends nostalgia with whimsy—ideal for lighter moments in a high-stakes series.
✨ Piedmont Park
Scenic, sprawling, and a perfect place for outdoor scenes, quiet conversations, or unexpected plot twists.
✨ Centennial Olympic Park
Vibrant and full of history—its fountains and walkways bring energy and motion to any scene.
✨ Midtown & Buckhead
Trendy, modern, fast-paced areas filled with restaurants, offices, and upscale hotels—great for corporate intrigue or luxury-level suspense.
Atlanta lets me play with all these textures. And the Rider team thrives in that variety.

🔥 Atlanta in the Rider Files: More Than a Setting
In The Rider Files, Atlanta becomes:

• a strategic base
• a character in its own right
• a node connecting international missions
• the heart from which the Rider team operates
• a place where danger finds the team—and where love does too
  
  

It’s chaotic, charming, complex, and perfect for a suspense series built on action, emotion, and resilience.

And every time I write a new Rider story, I feel that same creative joy I felt years ago, sitting with my husband, dreaming up a team of powerful, brilliant women and the men who help—or try to keep up with—them.

Atlanta gave the Rider Files a home. And in return, I get to revisit the city again and again—on the page and in my memories.
​
Check out the Rider Series!
ROMANTIC THRILLERS
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