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WHEN THE MIND...

His doctors are the best in the world, his father one of the most powerful men in the state. But they couldn't stop Mikey from succumbing to his darkest demons--the ones inside his head. The ones who told him it was time to end it all.

PLAYS A DEADLY GAME...

It should have been an open-and-shut case, especially since detective Claire Morgan's lover, Dr. Nicholas Black, recognized Mikey as a former troubled patient. Then Claire finds another body in Mikey's home. Curled inside an oven, charred beyond recognition, the method of murder mind-boggling...

OF MURDER

Claire's only lead is a beaded bracelet around each victim's wrist, believed to ward off the "evil eye." But by the time she discovers what the dead were afraid of, she's trapped in a mind game of her own--with a brilliant, sadistic killer. And this time, there's a method to the madness...

DIE YOUNG. . .

Hilde Swenson is a beauty pageant queen with a face to die for and a body to kill for. But by the time Detective Claire Morgan finds her in a shower stall—posed like a grotesquely grinning doll—Hilde is anything but pretty. She’s the victim of a sick, deranged killer. And she won’t be the last…

DIE BEAUTIFUL. . .

Brianna Swenson is the beauty queen’s sister—and the girlfriend of Claire’s partner Bud. She tells Claire that Hilde had plenty of enemies, including a creepy stalker, an abusive ex-boyfriend, and a slew of jealous competitors. But what she doesn’t say is that they both shared a dark, disturbing secret. A secret that refuses to die…

DIE SMILING. . .

From the after-hours parties of a sinister funeral home to the underworld vendettas of the Miami mob, Claire follows the trail with her lover Nicholas Black, a psychiatrist with secrets of his own. But it’s not until she uncovers evidence of unspeakable acts of depravity that Claire realizes she’s just become a diabolical killer’s next target…

ABOUT ME:

I love to write and I love to read.

My latest book, Dark Places, came out in August. It's the second book in my new detective mystery/suspense series featuring Homicide Detective Claire Morgan at Lake of the Ozarks and the Springfield area of Missouri.

My biggest fear is that nobody will show up for my book signings. : )

I also administer diagnostic developmental tests to pre-schoolers (three and four years old), which is very rewarding and enjoyable.

I'm married to the greatest man who ever lived and have the greatest daughter who ever lived, the greatest son who ever lived, not to mention the greatest son-in-law and daughter-in-law who ever lived. ; ) I am indeed blessed in that department. My mom and my brothers aren't bad, either, pretty great, in fact. : )

I love cryptograms, crosswords, any kind of word game or board game. I recently bought a game called Loaded Question, which is very interesting to play and gives players insight into how and what their friends and family think and feel. Apples to Apples is also a lot of fun, as is Catch Phrase.

I like watching movies and playing tennis and sitting in my swing and gazing out over the lake. I do yoga to relax and love all Italian food, bar none. I collect Blue Willow dishes and etched crystal goblets. I'm a big St. Louis Cardinals fan. GO CARDS!! I'm also a rabid University of North Carolina basketball fan because Tyler Hansbrough comes from my hometown. Congrats to Tyler on sweeping the 2008 player awards! GO TAR HEELS! He's awesome, as is his brother, Ben Hansbrough, who's a great player, too!

I especially love animals and have dogs, cats, and a parakeet. I lost both my old dog and old cat within a 2-week period this summer, and it nearly killed me. My pets are like members of the family. I like to speak on mystery writing or writing in general to library groups and for book clubs, both public and private, in person or over the telephone, so get in touch with me if you're interested. :)

I also liked the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars movies. I'm waiting for the Bourne Ultimatum to hit my theater because I think Damon does an outstanding and realistic job as Jason Bourne, especially in The Bourne Identity.

I like American Idol and Survivor sometimes, and Lost. I also like The Closer, 48 Hours Mystery, Rome, and The Sopranos. I did not like the ending but thought it was clever to end it that way.

Actually I've been reading alot: The Ruins by Smith, The Road by McCarthy, Cage of Stars by Mitchard, The Innocent Man by Grisham, Water for Elephants by Gruen. Next up is Blaze and Cell by King, the Odd books by Koontz, and Hannibal Rising by Harris.

I am waiting impatiently for the new Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Lee Child (Love that Jack Reacher), Harlan Coben, Eileen Dreyer, John Connolly, J.D. Robb, and James Lee Burke. I admire so many authors, it's hard to narrow it down.

Also, the rescue workers after 9/11 and everywhere else.

Pretty much all the doctors and nurses, too, and teachers, who are overlooked, underpaid, and under appreciated. And our law enforcement officers and fire fighters, who risk their lives for us every day.

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