Award-winning Author

Years in the military taught me that battles aren’t always won by the strongest army—they’re won by the side that understands people best.

That perspective shapes everything I write. My stories are built on strategy, interrogation, deception, politics, and the fragile trust between people forced to become allies.

Away from the page, you’ll usually find me on horseback. I’m happiest somewhere that smells like dust, oiled leather, and hay.

Black and white portrait of a woman with long wavy hair, wearing a dark sweater, sitting in front of a bookshelf, framed with a decorative black and gold border featuring a cat silhouette at the bottom.

Maria Lloyd Photography

If Love is Treason... 
Welcome to the rebellion.

War taught me that strategy is personal.
Romance taught me that loyalty is, too.

My voice is tactical, intimate, and emotionally intense, equal parts intelligence briefing and forbidden love story.

BEFORE I WAS A WRITER

Long before I finished my first novel, I was collecting pieces of it.

Museums. Ancient cities. Military history. Horseback trails. Libraries. Maps.

For years, those passions existed in separate parts of my life. Writing was where they finally became one story.

A woman smiling, wearing sunglasses and a white shirt, standing outdoors with a large brown horse. She holds a blue and black ribbon, and the horse is wearing a halter. The background has trees and a clear sky.

WRITING STYLE

My prose is taut, immersive, and emotionally precise, built on deep point of view and layered with strategic tension.

Every scene advances either the mystery, the romance, or both, drawing readers through the story one clue, one conversation, one impossible decision at a time.


A vintage-style conspiracy diagram titled "Target Link Map" showing connections between various agents such as a supplier, cell leader, messenger, and informant. The map features silhouettes, lines indicating contact types, and notes about information flow and strategy.

Inspirations

I’m fascinated by civilizations that flourished along great rivers—their art, architecture, belief systems, and the way ordinary lives persisted beneath extraordinary empires.

I plan vacations around museums, archaeological sites, beautiful libraries, and bookstores worth getting lost in.

I love a winter storm that gives me an excuse to disappear into my reading list with a favorite glass of wine.

When I’m not at the desk, you’ll usually find me…


 • Riding horses.
• Making friends with bookstore owners wherever I go.
• Reading by the fire with a glass of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
• Staying up for “one more chapter” with my black cat, Salem, judging.

WHat i’m exploring now

Right now, I’m writing about impossible choices and asking myself whether trust can exist before truth.