I didn’t take the straightest path to this destination, but I’ve never been one to do things the easy way.

I was a police officer for over a decade. In addition to regular patrol duties, I was a member of the regional SWAT team, making me the only active female SWAT operator in the state. I received advanced training in police tactics, Crisis Intervention, Active Shooter Response, interviewing and interrogation, Emergency Tactical Care, and Officer Safety and Survival. I also taught a women’s self-defense class and a community suicide prevention program.

While working the night shift on patrol, I was studying the art of storytelling during the day. I was able to earn an MFA in creative writing, a Master’s in English, and graduate certificates and certifications in publishing, editing, and teaching writing. I also published two YA novels.

In 2021, I developed an illness that left me physically disabled, and I had to leave police work. But after a decade of investigating crimes, I’d amassed so much on-the-job knowledge, I was determined to find a way to continue utilizing it.

At the time, I was reading a well-known novel that poorly represented several basic police procedures, which caused major plot holes in the story. I realized that by combining my unique expertise with my passion for writing and literature, and specifically my love for mysteries, thrillers, and, of course, police procedurals, I could support authors through the editing process and ensure their manuscripts were authentic and believable.

Now, I partner with authors to develop their plots, flesh out their characters, and seek out the craft criminals that are harming their stories.

When illness forced me to turn in my badge, I thought my days of helping others were over. But through Ballard Editorial, I’ve found a new way to investigate!