Utah native Melanie P. Smith is a woman as varied and driven at the characters in her novels. After completing a Postgraduate certification in Conflict Resolution and Negotiation from the University of Utah she went towork for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Department. After serving most of her career in the Special Operations Division she retired in 2016.

Melanie writes criminal suspense and police procedurals because, “that’s what I know.” But her first book was a paranormal romance and she’s expanded into fantasy as well.

Read the interview in our bestselling magazine