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In her crime thrillers, Debra Mares brings us up close to murder. It's a world that the author has experienced up close -- since 2004, Debra has been a county prosecutor in Riverside, California, an hour east of Downtown Los Angeles. Her office has one of the highest conviction rates in California and is the fifteenth largest in the country. You name it - she's prosecuted it - homicides, gang murders, domestic violence, sex cases, political corruption, major fraud and parole hearings for convicted murderers. Debra is a two-time recipient of the County Prosecutor of the Year Award and 2012 recipient of the Community Hero Award.

Author Mares is also the co-founder and Executive Director of Women Wonder Writers, a life-skills and mentorship organization targeting at-risk youth and their families. In 2012, Debra released Volume 1 of her debut legal thriller series, The Mamacita Murders featuring Gaby Ruiz, a sex crimes community prosecutor and head of The Mamacita Club, a traveling motorhome mentoring group. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 2014, Debra released her first children's book "It's This Monkey's Business," to bring awareness to domestic violence, family matters and divorce.

Author Debra is the granddaughter of a Mexican migrant farm worker and factory seamstress, was born and raised in Los Angeles, is the first to graduate college in her family, and grew up dancing Ballet Folklorico and Salsa. Debra's own family story includes struggles with immigration, domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse and teen pregnancy, which she addresses in her novels. Debra followed a calling at 11 years old to be an attorney and voice for women, and appreciates international travel and culture. Her life's mission is to bring awareness to crimes against women and children, breaking the cycle of victimization and domestic violence.