Whether I’m writing a traditional or cozy mystery, I focus on the characters. For me, that’s where the story, conflict and adventure start!Character arcs are my jam.I write characters with desires and flaws, thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Or thrown in with people completely different than themselves. I love seeing people change through the course of a story. I write two series: The Laughing Loaf Bakery Mysteries:When Gracie Markley discovers her husband is selling tech secrets to foreign governments, she turns him in to the FBI. After testifying against him, she, her professor father and her dog are given new identities (yes, even the dog) and are relocated to a small town in the Northern California redwoods, where Gracie opens a bakery. With her new identity, she’s prepared to live a life under the radar. That is, until a dead male model turns up on her doorstep. Silicon Valley Murder series:Detectives James Ruiz and Dani Grasso solve murders in Monte Verde, a wealthy town of tech CEOs and professionals in the hills of the San Francisco Bay peninsula. Ruiz grew up poor on the streets of East San Jose, and rookie detective Grasso belongs to an affluent Italian family, owners of the gourmet grocery chain Grasso’s Fine Foods. Together they confront crimes of passion, greed and vengeance in one of the world’s richest zip codes.I'm a former Silicon Valley marketing professional, married to a software engineer. After I left the tech industry, I started a career as a teacher. In my high school English classes, I learned a lot about the craft of stories. I've also learned how powerful stories are. I'd love to hear from you. You can contact me at thelaughingloaf@gmail.comRead more about this authorRead less about this author