Rita Hanner-Ward, who originally published Red Flash under the pseudonym Kiva Wolfe, enjoyed a vibrant career as a museum curator, pioneering interpretive exhibits and hands-on learning. She later worked as a fundraising consultant and media relations specialist, contributing writing and photography to the Thornton Quarterly magazine. A self-proclaimed gemstone junkie, she now resides in Arizona, where she divides her time between clay hand-building, volunteering, and the antics of her incorrigible dog, Zorro. She is currently wrapping up two new writing projects: Tears of lemanjá, the long-awaited sequel to Red Flash, and a third novel-the first in a planned three-book mystery series written under the pseudonym Luiza Cady. Both titles are slated for release in 2026. Between novels, she writes poetry that explores memory, grief, and redemption with lyrical grace. A collection of her poems is also in the works.

Winner of the Manhattan Book Award Silver Seal, Kiva Wolfe's Red Flash is a suspenseful romantic thriller that delves into the dangerous underworld of rare gemstones, betrayal, and desire. When a mysterious red stone disappears deep in the Brazilian rainforest, its disappearance sets off a deadly chain of events that reaches from the jungles of South America to the opulent mansions of Denver Colorado.

At the heart of the intrigue stands Sërg Stanovic, a powerful gem dealer whose empire is built on deception, and Dominick, his idealistic younger brother who becomes entangled in a web of corruption, murder, and forbidden love. Torn between loyalty and conscience, Dominick must navigate a perilous path where beauty and greed collide, and where the shimmer of a gemstone hides a darker truth.

Blending mystery, romance, and international suspense, Red Flash explores the brilliant and brutal world of high-stakes gem trading, where every sparkle has its shadow and every secret its price.