Thunderstruck

They're opposing candidates in a contentious election who have a scandalous past. Years ago, Monica and Brian had an intense affair, which ended in heartbreak. Years later, Monica ends up facing Brian in a congressional campaign on the outskirts of Washington, DC. Old sentiments resurface, threatening to derail Monica's political plans. And when everything becomes public, Monica turns into a woman with nothing to lose. She's determined to win the election at any cost, despite whatever she may be feeling for her opponent. As Brian deals with his feelings for the only woman who ever really understood him, he is forced to make a decision about revealing information that could help him, but destroy her. As oversized egos and the desire to win an election threaten the bond slowly forming between these two political opponents, they end up discovering that they may have more in common than they originally thought.

Maria Riegger is based in the Washington, DC area. She is a banking /corporate attorney by day (but please don't hold that against her), and a fiction author by night.

Maria is a Gemini whose head has always been in the clouds. From a young age, she was scolded for not paying attention; when she was bored, she would make up stories in her head. In fact, her greatest fear is boredom. She has been writing since she was about thirteen years old. A lover of languages, she speaks French, Spanish, Catalan and some Portuguese; and has lived in the U.K., France and Spain.

A native of the Washington, DC area, she is a political junkie who has respect for all views and who admires the political involvement of Americans. She loves nothing more than a solid political discussion where all views are represented.

When not writing or lawyering, she can be found doing a myriad of activities including reading, traveling, volunteering, and basically anything else that is not housework.

Maria lives right outside of Washington, DC with her family.