About the Author, by the Author

Paula Boyd grew up in a small town in Texas that some would say was not unlike Kickapoo, which was just down the road from a bigger town that might, in some small ways, resemble Redwater Falls. These are coincidences, of course, as all the people, places and events are fictional, as attested by the appropriate disclaimers in the books and my willingness to swear to the same under oath. 

 As some of you may know, my mother passed in November 2000, the same month Dead Man Falls was released. She never officially read it, but I think she still knew. She was, however, limited on her revenge. After the first book came out, she just didn’t speak to me for a month. That no longer being a viable option of expressing her displeasure, she opted for flickering lights, knocking on walls and other strange things. I wish I were kidding.

Things have settled down lately so maybe she has finally forgiven me for borrowing bits and pieces of her life to add color and flair to my fictional world—just tidbits, like the hair, clothing, earrings and gold slippers… As I said earlier, it is all fiction. Then again, Turkey Ranch Road Rage is now finally finished so I just better hope she likes it. Say what you will, I still don’t want my mother unhappy with me!

As Lucille says in one of the books, “Everybody had a bad childhood, that’s what childhood is for.” So, suck it up. I will admit to saying such things to my own children, who also don’t appreciate it. They chose me as their mother—they don’t like hearing that either—and it was my job to scar their little psyches just as my mother did for me. It is the glorious circle of life. I have apologized for it all, however.

I never got that, of course. Lucille just acted like she’d never made a mistake in her whole entire life, when she should have been telling me, er, Jolene, um, well, you know what I mean…

See, people, it takes a strange mind to write these kind of books… I’m not sure what it says about YOU if you can relate to them!

I hope you find a chuckle or two in my books—or at least some serious eye rolling and head shaking!  I wish you laughter!

That was not a bio. I’m not sure what it was, but it was not a biography. Neither is the following, but it rambles less.

Biography

Paula Boyd grew up in Holliday, Texas, attended Midwestern State University then moved to Denver, Colorado in 1981.  She has been active in numerous writing organizations and has served on the executive boards of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Women Writing the West. 

Ms. Boyd has conducted writing workshops and has spoken at conferences and events across the country. Her books have been featured in national and regional magazines and she has appeared on local an national television, including CSPAN’s Book TV.

Ms. Boyd’s first mystery, Hot Enough to Kill, was released in 1999 to rave reviews and was featured in Redbook magazine, among many other publications. Dead Man Falls, released in 2000, won the WILLA Literary Award Winner for Best Original Paperback. Hot Enough to Kill is featured in the University of Texas Press’ Lone Star Sleuths: An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction.

Paula now lives near Hot Springs, Arkansas, where she also works as an environmental consultant and loves to travel.