About me...
I am the author of historical fiction inspired by real events, where love, resilience, and sacrifice meet against the backdrop of war. My writing journey began with poetry—too personal to share openly—so I shifted to romance novels, where I could explore emotions and stories while keeping a little distance from my personal life.
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After spending five years living and working in Serbia, I discovered the story of Lepa Radić—a seventeen-year-old Yugoslav Partisan who faced the Nazis with unyielding courage. Her bravery became the spark for my writing, inspiring me to blend historical accuracy with deeply human stories that honor the strength and sacrifice of ordinary people in extraordinary times.
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Before becoming a novelist, I served over twenty years in law enforcement both nationally and internationally, from United Nations missions in Haiti and Kosovo to advising the Ukrainian National Police. Those experiences taught me about endurance, courage, and the quiet ways people resist and survive. These lessons shape every character and story I write.
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I hope my books offer readers a window into the past, filled with the complexity of human emotions and the power of hope. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
(above) My friend, Mr. Gvozdic taught me how to make "rakija", the brandy mentioned in my book.
(above) my dear friends from Serbia (left and bottom), with whom I’m still in contact today. I used either their first or last names for some of the characters in my book. (Top) is my dear friend from Germany, with whom I traveled through several cities across Serbia and Montenegro.
(above) One of my main characters was modeled after my closest friend, John. We served together in Serbia for three years. Here he is with his wife, Nena, who is from Serbia.
(above) Partisan - I am sitting at the desk of the leader of the anti-fascist Partisan resistance movement during World War II and later the long-time president of socialist Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito. In the two pictures below it, I am wearing an old-style double-breasted greatcoat (mentioned in my book) with red piping and epaulettes; during WWII in Yugoslavia, such long wool coats with red piping and shoulder boards were typically associated with Partisan commanders aligned with Tito’s forces, and the design was later carried into the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA).
(above) Chetnik - General Draža Mihailović was a Royal Yugoslav Army officer and leader of the Chetnik movement during World War II. While his legacy is complex and controversial, he is notably remembered in the U.S. for helping orchestrate Operation Halyard in 1944—a daring rescue mission that saved over 500 American airmen who had been shot down over Yugoslavia. (mentioned in my book)
(above) One of my dear friends, Marko, was the first Serbian to befriend me. At first, his intention was to bring me great harm to avenge the death of his best friend, who had been killed during the American bombing of Serbia, but instead we grew close and remained friends until his death.
These are my parents, who came to visit me while I was in Belgrade, Serbia. Below is what originally brought me to the region—the United Nations Mission in Kosovo.
