About
Maria E. Romana officially embarked on her writing career back in the early 1970's when, in the third grade, a thoughtful teacher sent home a note on the back of Maria's report card suggesting that she should pursue a career in fiction, because her imaginative stories and skill in expressing them made it the only logical choice. It is difficult to say whether the teacher was speaking sincerely or was merely impressed with Maria's ability to colorfully explain unusual discoveries, such as the harboring of a "perfect" snowball in Maria's lunch box. Nevertheless, Maria took the teacher's words to heart and kept the dream alive, even while pursuing a B.S. in mathematics and an MBA, which led to twenty years of writing as a research statistician in academia, medicine, and consumer marketing--not exactly what her teacher had in mind perhaps, but often every bit as imaginative.
Finally, at the age of 40, Maria resumed her aspirations of being a fiction author and produced her first novel, "Little Miss Straight Lace". The book is a complex tale of mystery and romance set in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, where much of Maria's time as a research statistician was spent. The story is loosely based on some of her experiences working in pharmaceutical research there. She is currently working on her second book, also set in North Carolina, and also featuring a brilliant female scientist.
Maria currently resides just outside the RTP area with her husband and two children. She enjoys hearing from readers and is always happy to take questions or comments through her website, http://suspense-Books.com.
Through the Eyes of Maria: Choices
Description
<p>Maria hits the streets of New York in search of the love denied by her alcoholic father and indifferent mother. When Sergio, a dark, worldly stranger, lures her with diamonds, brand-name clothing, and undivided attention, Maria sees a way out of her dysfunctional home. Seduced by Sergio’s charm and the promise of wealth and recognition, Maria ignores her panicked intuition and wanders into his lair.<br /><br />But in a world where ambition and deception go hand in hand, where dreams are shattered and innocence crushed, Maria discovers she’s trapped in a hell much worse than the one she left. And now, there is no escape. The price for betrayal is blood.<br /><br />Destiny intervenes when Maria meets Christian, a handsome law student haunted by a dark family secret. With her life at risk and time running out, will Maria find the strength to save herself and convince Christian to go against all reason and risk everything to help her?</p>
Story Behind The Book
I originally came up with the idea for "Little Miss Straight Lace" while stirring spaghetti sauce on my kitchen stove (actually a rarity for me, as, like LMSL's protagonist, I am useless in the kitchen). What I find funny in retrospect is that the final story turned out to be nothing like that original idea, but apparently, cooking a bad meal is the secret to creativity for this author.
Reviews
<strong>*** 2010 Readers Favorite Gold Medal for Romantic Suspense Fiction ***<br /></strong><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span><em>“Romana’s characters are portrayed with skill, each is a
credible person filled with foibles, warts and gaffes…the various twists
and turns are handled with skill, are easily followed, and add depth
and dimension often lacking in works provided by newer writers…Maria
Romana’s Little Miss Straight Lace is a fast paced, keep ‘em guessing
and turning the page type read sure to intrigue readers who enjoy good
writing, a bit of romance, a lot of action, and a downright good read.”</em><br />—Molly Martin, Midwest Book Review<p><em>“…a great beach read…all the ingredients for a story that’s hard to put down…”</em><br />
—Author A.J. Braithwaite, Inside Hawley Lodge</p><p></p><p></p>
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