A New Mexico Based Indie Writer: A Journey of Resilience and Creativity

As a bestselling mystery crime thriller author, I thrive on weaving suspenseful plots filled with secrets, deception, and shocking twists that leave readers breathless. I love creating compelling detectives, cunning criminals, and complex victims—characters that keep audiences on the edge of their seats and eagerly anticipating the next revelation.

Success in this genre demands a sharp understanding of tension and misdirection, skills I’ve worked hard to refine. With every novel, I’m thrilled to see readers piecing together clues, trying to solve the mystery before the unforgettable conclusion. Hearing their theories and reactions is incredibly rewarding, and it means the world to me that critics have praised my gripping narratives. My writing is deeply rooted in authenticity, informed by extensive research into forensic science, criminal psychology, and real-life cases. The process is intense, driven by creativity, relentless curiosity, and a personal challenge to outshine my previous stories. At the core of it all, I find immense joy in delivering a perfectly executed mystery—one that keeps readers guessing and talking long after they’ve finished the book. This is my passion and the art that defines me.

I began my publishing journey in 2015 when The Hand of Destiny and Curse of The Hellhounds first found their way into print with covers I had created in photoshop. The world of independent publishing back then would be barely recognizable to those entering it now. Over the last ten years, I’ve evolved from a self-published author into an independent publisher of several bestselling series, and I do have a favorable number of sales. I’ve rose at 5:30am every morning to write a twelve-hour day. I’ve published six books- 3 each in two series and have more on the way-with quite a few in different genres. And I will have four audiobooks in The Craelis Chronicles and The Claire Thomas Paranormal Murder Mysteries for Audible listeners to enjoy, releasing very soon! I am contemplating YouTube videos and podcasts, too.

I’m one of many independent authors making a good living publishing their own work, and I count myself blessed to be successful at my chosen career. This all means so much to me, this wonderful path that I chose to follow seven years before, has allowed me to reach you, my dearest readers, without whom none of this would even be possible, and to reach you directly, giving me the opportunity to communicate with you. Readers have been able to ask me questions about my novels— What inspired it? what other works or authors does it compare to? Will they like my novels if they like the other one? What other mystery/crime thriller authors do I read?

And by this, I know that what I write is what you, my readers are looking for to enjoy and share. You’re opinions matter to me. And I’m immensely grateful that so many of you regularly write to me to share your thoughts on my work and ideas. Happily, I’ve been able to answer all of their questions, as I would love to answer yours. So, as I look back on the accomplishments of the last seven years, I say this with the utmost heartfelt gratitude to you, my faithful readers-thank you for joining me on this wonderful writing journey. I look forward to many more adventures over the next twenty odd years, and I very much hope you’ll be right there along with me.

Raised in the interior of bush Alaska, I grew up in a household of avid readers of every genre imaginable, the daughter of a mother who always had a book in her hands. My family taught me to read and appreciate the written word and stories from an early age, and this love developed into a pursuit of all things creative — writing, painting, and singing. My love of the Paranormal, Fantasy, Crime Thriller and Mystery genres began at an early age, when every afternoon after finishing chores, I read everything I could get my hands on. Tolkien, Jordan, Asimov, Bradbury, and others like Zane Grey, Louis Lamour, and every Star Trek book ever written. It was my father who bought me a computer as an adult and encouraged me to pursue my dream.

I’ve always been excited by myths and legends, and I grew up looking for the little people and fairies in the forest, and grass, certain that they were watching me from their sacred hiding places. I spent many afternoons walking though the Alaskan woods in the solitude of my own imagination, acting out the books I had read. My dog, always my sidekick on our adventures, happily obliged as we acted out our favorite scenes. My love for writing came into its own about the same time I did – as I sought freedom from the fists and brutal narcissistic gaslighting and bullying that I endured for two short years that felt like a lifetime. These years of domestic violence in an earlier marriage had been rough in too many ways. My soul felt as if it were breathing underwater, and I was barely able to escape. I do not view myself as a victim, nor have I ever done so. I am a survivor, and this deeply held belief became paramount to my survival as an individual. I always stood my ground and fought back in self defense.

 Those who know me well were shocked that I had suddenly found myself in such a controlling situation, as was I. The idea that domestic violence happens to weak willed women is so wrong- there are abusers who actively seek out strong women to break them. My own emotional growth through life has given me much creativity and I quickly regained the vivid imagination from childhood.

I wrote countless manuscripts and stories, inspired by my own experiences and my vivid imagination. I read everything, including the entire set of the Encyclopedia Britannica cover to cover, and I was inspired. I read different exciting genres, I avidly studied and learned philosophy, to embrace the broader belief of spirituality as a whole, and seek a greater understanding of myself and others. From all this, do the vision and stories I write develop and grow.

While seeking this path that ultimately led me toward creating these series and novels, I worked for the city of Anchorage as a driver/supervisor for CSP. I worked with South Tongass Fire Department as a firefighter and EMS first responder, Sold jewelry to tourists in Ketchikan; I worked as a night auditor clerk at several hotels on the Island. Was a night clerk at Allsups in Texas, and spent a decade as a bronc rider and discovered a deep love of horses and excelled at rebreaking and retraining wayward horses, pulling calves and branding in Montana, Idaho, and Arizona.

Traveled the US riding broncs in the small town rodeos, before embarking upon my dream of writing full time. Along the way, in 2007, I got married to the love of my life, raised four cats, five dogs, a daughter and two sons, I also have two beautiful step daughters, became a grandmother to two granddaughters and 7 grandsons, and moved my family from the oilfields of Seminole Texas to the lovely quiet of the New Mexico high desert countryside ranch, just beyond Tucumcari and it’s famous Route 66. And here, over the past several years, my writing has slowly evolved, becoming better than before. It’s here in New Mexico that my manuscripts has finally transformed into the books that now, most closely matches my visions for them.

Ultimately what I have attempted to do in these books is to introduce you to characters in whose future you become truly emotionally invested, characters you want to spent time with — characters who inspire you, motivate you, and at times might even shock you, but whose acquaintance leaves you touched in some way. It is my greatest hope that my characters become as real to you as they are to me. In order to give my characters a rich background that I believe every character needs, into the storylines, I have woven an intricate tapestry of mystery, adventure, thrilling suspense, and humor that I hope will keep even the most detail-oriented reader intrigued. I’ve put some of the wisdom I’ve had the benefit of gaining from myself as well as others into the story as well, hoping that you may make room for it in your own lives at some point. But I believe, most importantly, I’ve tried to entertain you. I hope that I have succeeded.