Synopsis/Bio: Author, Cheri Vause turned a lifetime of adversary and grief from into fodder for her literary mysteries. "Pain is a great teacher," she says, "And it can color your world with hate or compassion. I choose compassion and happiness." She should know.

Having experienced everything from homelessness, to physical suffering, to losing her family she has empathy and compassion for her villains, as well as her heroes. "Life is too short to wallow in misery because something awful happened to you. I always say if you aren't laughing, you aren't doing it right."