Sharon Sterling, formerly Sharon Hickey, nee Myers, is a psychotherapist/social worker and author. She is pleased to announce the publication of her mystery/thriller novels, Fatal Refuge and The Well. Both are set in Arizona and feature a young Apache woman and a mental health counselor. Ms. Sterling is writing a third book featuring the two women, which will complete her Arizona Thriller Trilogy. Ms. Sterling received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and her Master’s degree from Tulane University in New Orleans. She returned to Arizona and began her social work career as a crisis counselor.

Over the years she worked in Cottonwood, Yuma, Tucson, Flagstaff, and Prescott. Her work experiences include community mental health agencies, psychiatric and medical hospital settings and private practice. The intense experiences and fascinating people encountered during those years inspire and inhabit her books while the flavor of Southwestern locales spice her writing. As a mental health professional, Sharon is alarmed by the recent spike of mass murders by mentally deranged individuals. She writes passionately about that topic, and others, in her blog. Her books include characters with mental illness as well as people struggling with the challenges of every day living. She hopes to inspire her readers with insight and compassion for themselves and others.

Ms. Sterling’s great-grandmother was a full-blood Cherokee Indian, which sparked her fascination with all Native Americans and their cultures. The author was an avid reader as a child and still enjoys that quiet past-time. She loves to cook, garden, hike and care for her dog. She belongs to several writers’ groups, including Society of Southwestern Authors and Sisters in Crime. She is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers and works part time as a psychotherapist/counselor. The author currently lives in Green Valley, an idyllic retirement town in Arizona, with her aged but beloved dog, Zayd.