Maureen Klovers is the creator of the Rita Calabrese garden-to-table culinary mystery series set in New York's Hudson Valley; the Jeanne Pelletier amateur sleuth series set in Washington, DC; and the memoir "In the Shadow of the Volcano: One Ex-Intelligence Official's Journey through the Slums, Prisons, and Leper Colonies to the Heart of Latin America." As suggested by the title of her memoir, Maureen has served as a U.S. intelligent agent; taught in the shantytowns of Quito, Ecuador; toured a notorious Bolivian prison in the company of a German narcotrafficker; and been inspired by some of the most positive, life-affirming people on the planet-residents of a facility for those suffering from Hansen's disease (the new name for leprosy). She loves poking around forgotten corners of DC; speaking Italian, testing recipes for Italian-American classics (which will later work their way into the Rita Calabrese series!), and traveling to Italy; and spending time with her incredibly supportive husband, fun (but exhausting!) toddler, and energetic black Lab.