Bio

 

We all had to start somewhere and for me it was a small town in eastern North Carolina - October 29th - a Scorpio by birth and temperament.

 

I had three brothers and no sisters--that could explain a lot.

 

My older brother and I were pals. He nicknamed me Annie Oakley - the only left-handed girl who could out shoot him any day of the week. Every Christmas I asked for a gun and holster-and you guessed it-never got one. I told my mother I'd have my own someday.

 

The options for a career in my hometown weren't stellar. The offerings included getting married and having children, being a secretary or working in a sewing factory. Can you see why I wasn't excited? So, I got that gun and holster after all! My mother referred to it as 'the day I ran away from home and joined the Police Department.'

 

Being a cop was a challenging career and it paid the bills. My passion (writing) didn't. I worked my way up through the ranks: walking officer in the central business district, beat cop in the roughest section of town, training officer, corporal, fraud and homicide detectives, sergeant, lieutenant (in the field and Vice/Narcotics), captain and finally an assistant chief at retirement.

 

But "the job" never really felt like me. Every day I put on "the bag" it felt like I was in drag (quite the opposite of all the jocks who had to dress up for work, huh?) But the experiences were rewarding--the stuffing that makes books interesting. If I keep writing until I die, I just might be able to capture most of it!

 

When I retired, my best friend said, "Pursue your passion--writing." It took about 18 months for me to realize I could actually do that full time. The process is invigorating and the challenges are never-ending. I can't imagine ever tiring of it.

 

Copyright 2005-11 VK Powell

V K  P o w e l l

Author