Ann Charles is an award-winning author who writes romantic mysteries that are splashed with humor. Her book NEARLY DEPARTED IN DEADWOOD won the 2010 Daphne du Maurier for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense Award and the 2011 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award for Best Novel With Strong Romantic Elements. Currently, she has several fiction books available: NEARLY DEPARTED IN DEADWOOD, OPTICAL DELUSIONS IN DEADWOOD, DEAD CASE IN DEADWOOD (selected as one of Suspense Magazine's BEST OF 2012 books), and BETTER OFF DEAD IN DEADWOOD, which are all part of her ongoing Deadwood Mystery Series. The fifth book in this series will be out in early 2014. Also available from Ann are the first two books in her Jackrabbit Junction Mystery Series: DANCE OF THE WINNEBAGOS and JACKRABBIT JUNCTION JITTERS. The third book in this series will be out in January 2014. She has a couple of short stories as well--DEADWOOD SHORTS: SEEING TROUBLE (a short story from her Deadwood Mystery Series) and THE OLD MAN'S BACK IN TOWN (a short story from her upcoming Goldwash Mystery Series, the first of which will be out in 2014). A member of Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America for many moons, Ann has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington. She is currently toiling away on her next book, wishing she was on a Mexican beach with an ice-cold Corona in one hand and her Kindle in the other. When she is not dabbling in fiction, she is arm wrestling with her two kids, attempting to seduce her husband, and arguing with her sassy cat. Most nights, you can find her hanging out over at www.anncharles.com, on Facebook as Ann Charles, or as DeadwoodViolet on Twitter--especially around midnight when her quirky fictional world comes to life.