My love for the Ozarks burst out in newsprint and magazine features  in 1986 and has continued without stop since then, currently appearing in the "To Die For" mystery series, A VALLEY TO DIE FOR (Ozarks hills and hollows),  MUSIC TO DIE FOR (Ozark Folk Center State Park, A TREASURE TO DIE FOR (Hot Springs National Park), A WEDDING TO DIE FOR, (The 1876 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR), and A RIVER TO DIE FOR (Buffalo National River, Arkansas) as well as in several short stories featuring locations like Pea Ridge National Military Park and Ft. Smith National Historic Site--both in Arkansas.    Motivation?  I love working with  words, I love making stories, and love the Arkansas Ozarks.   All my stories are set at tourist destinations aroound the Ozarks, which makes research and writing very pleasant indeed.  I invite you along on the journey with me.

Four awards from Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., one for non-fiction book, three for mystery fiction. Macavity Nomination from Mystery Readers International. Arkansas Governor's Award for best writing about the state. Arkansas "Best Book" awards. Dan Saults Award (Missouri) for Nature and Ozarks Value Writing, David G. Sasher nomination for Best Mystery Novel. Christian Writer of the Year award. The 2010 Silver Falchion from Killer Nashville, Inductee, Arkansas Writers' Hall of Fame, 2011.

When do we write? That's an important question these days when most book authors become sales representatives as soon as their first book is accepted by a publisher. At least half of our work time is spent e-mailing fans, booksellers, libraries, conference and convention organizers, and so on. We are asked for photos, biographical material, blurbs, book lists, you name it. We travel to many events, often speaking or teaching for an hour or more. (This is fun--mostly. Some times it gets a bit overwhelming.) Still, we must find time to write that next book, the foundation and most enjoyable activity in our roster of busy-ness. We do it for our readers. Any wonder writers love and respect their readers? We work hard to please the ones who enjoy our particular type of writing, whether fiction or non-fiction. (Or, in my case, both.) This, basically, is the writing profession. (I've left out the lead-up to that first publication. Write, edit, write, edit, re-write, re-write, submit, re-write, submit, submit.) So it's truly yours, Radine

http://www.RadinesBooks.com
Information about all my books including first chapters, recipes from my protagonist, Carrie McCrite, (a "creative" cook), list of events, links to sites of interest to readers.