Weaving together history, scandal, romance and suspense, Maria McKenzie writes historical fiction in the form of forbidden love stories. Mixed race romance from the American past provides heart wrenching conflict as well as incredible pain, and those elements combined create amazing stories. Being in an interracial marriage herself, Maria enjoys exploring the topic. Her novels are inspired by true stories, as well as her imagination. She loves to read romantic suspense, thrillers, historical fiction and nonfiction, true crime and biographies. A foodie, Maria has a preference for spicy ethnic cuisines. She also likes to cook and bake, as long as the recipes aren't too time consuming, so she'll have more time to write and more time to read! In addition to libraries and book stores, Maria enjoys movies, museums, antiquing and flea markets. An avid fitness fanatic, Maria runs/walks, does Pilates and weight training. If she's not listening to an audio book, her morning runs give her time to imagine story ideas! Maria graduated from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor's in English, and then attended Atlanta University where she received a Master's in Library Science. Maria lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two boys. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, small business owner and author, she was a librarian for several years and worked in library systems in Georgia and North Carolina. Maria took a brief departure from historical fiction to write the funny romantic comedy From Cad to Cadaver, the first in a series featuring ex-FBI agent turned detective Tracy Black, of Black Ops Detective Agency, and her partner, ex-Navy SEAL and all around tough guy Adam Slade. She's black, he's white, but the situations they stumble into are hardly black and white! Join them in a series of crime-solving adventures that will keep you laughing! You can visit Maria at www.mariamckenziewrites.com or send her an email at mariamckenziewrites@gmail.com. She would love to hear from you!