Nancy's Comments

Books

Mitigating Circumstances:

y first novel concerns a female DA, a past victim of incest, who is brutally raped alongside her teenage daughter. When I was writing this book, much of my own past spilled onto the page, as I was sexually abused by my own grandfather. I was intrigued by the concept of a professional in the criminal justice system who falls victim to an act of violence. I was also attempting to show what causes a basically "good" person to step outside the law and commit a heinous act. As in most of my novels, the underlying crimes have been taken from actual cases I handled as an investigator.

Interest of Justice:

y second novel centers around a woman judge attempting to track down her sister and brother-in-law's killer. During the time period where I was employed at the Ventura PD in California, there was a double homicide that has yet to be solved, and the case lingered in the back of my mind. A young boy came home to find his parents bludgeoned to death with a piece of firewood. For a long time, he was the primary suspect in the crime. By writing INTEREST OF JUSTICE, I was able to close this door in my memory by fictionalizing my version of what occurred during this unsolved crime.

First Offense:

y third novel involves a probation officer who is shot by an unknown assailant as she walks to her car in the parking lot of the government center where she works. Since few people are knowledgeable about the responsibilities of probation officers, I wanted to show what a difficult and challenging job this is, and how what a vital role probation officers play in the criminal justice system.

California Angel:

y fourth novel is an inspirational tale that many have compared to "It's a Wonderful Life." The central character is a dedicated school teacher who discovers that she possesses angelic powers, and who is willing to sacrifice her life for the benefit of mankind. This story came to me while I was visiting my adopted daughter, Janelle Garcia, on a day when she was extremely ill. The book can be read by people of all ages. There is no profanity, sex, or violence. This was my attempt to show that death is not something to fear, that humans possess angelic qualities, and that we can all achieve greatness if we will only follow our heart.

Trial by Fire:

y fifth novel involves a feisty Italian prosecutor who is at the height of her career when her past comes back to haunt her. Unlike my other novels, it is set in Texas, my home state. What I enjoyed the most in writing this novel was the technology, such as computer animation and virtual reality, and how these tools are being utilized in criminal investigations.

Abuse of Power:

y sixth novel was released in March, 1997. The lead character is an idealistic female police officer who sees a fellow officer use an innocent bystander as a human shield to deflect a bullet. When her integrity forces her to speak out and shatter the code of silence, she alienates the very people she must depend on in a crisis, and sets out on a collision course with disaster. Of all my novels, this is the most frightening and realistic.

Buried Evidence:

y seventh novel was released in September of 2001. Buried Evidence continues the story of tenacious DA Lily Forrester six years after the events depicted in Mitigating Circumstances. The sequel challenged me to put into words the agonizing reality of living for years in constant fear of being exposed for a horrendous act committed in desperation. Never in real life could I do what Lily did, but on paper, it felt great. It was a catharsis.

Conflict of Interest:

y latest novel is an attempt to bring to life within a fictional format the gross inadequacies of the criminal justice system in dealing with the mentally disabled offender. Like all of my suspense thrillers, Conflict of Interest is fiction with its roots in an actual case, so the credibility factor is present. I lived through many of the events. I knew the characters. I cried their tears. I felt their fears. The battles thy lost, I won, perhaps not in real life, but inside the context of one of my novels.

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