Joan grew up in Chicago, studied voice at Northwestern University, and then moved to Minnesota, where she finished her degree at Metropolitan State University, changing her major to the arts and including anything and everything to help her with her writing. She lives in Inver Grove Heights, a suburb of St. Paul and has been writing for years. She uses all the arts, music, art and writing, in her books by way of her characters. She joined RWA and then KOD and Lethaladies in 2005 and has plans for a second book in the police procedural series, as well as a cozy mystery series and a paranormal thriller. Aside from writing, she also enjoy painting, crocheting and singing and being with her two… girls, one son. seven grandchildren and one great-grandson.