Audrey Stallsmith

A farmer's daughter from the green hills of western Pennsylvania, I once had a reporter ask me "What could a sweet country girl like you know about murder?" I don't recall my answer, though I suspect I fixed him with a truly murderous glare!

It's my opinion that violence is much more jarring in the rural or small town settings portrayed in my novels than it would be in the "mean streets." And this art minor has always been fond of chiaroscuro (strong contrast).

What interests me most, however, is the mystery element--not just the puzzle itself but the puzzle of what could drive certain personalities to such desperate ends. Although it seems paradoxical, we introverts are fascinated by people and what makes them tick-tock.

I don't just write about murder. Inklings of Truth is my nonfiction quest for another kind of answers. I also pen humorous romantic short stories and novellas for relaxation and online gardening articles for love of the subject--and for money, of course!

My other interests include amateur photography, apologetics, cryptic crosswords, old lace, beads, Border Collies, and dead Brits. Yes, much as it pains this Yankee Doodle to admit it, most of my own favorite authors--such as C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesteron, Dorothy Sayers, Georgette Heyer, and Jane Austen--are British and long gone!