Elena E. Smith is a hard-boiled cozy writer who grew up in Arizona then spent her adult life in Los Angeles. She has had four separate careers (with some overlap, of course - she's not a hundred years old), including entry-level jobs in the entertainment industry, advertising sales account executive, paralegal, and mobile home sales. She has been to London and Paris, owned her own horse, and enjoyed playing guitar and singing. She has a Bachelor's degree in Adult Basic Education (CSULB) and an AA in Criminal Justice. She is now retired and spends her time writing and hanging out with her husband, her cat and her friends. Smith has had a number of short stories published and will soon release her first novel, MAHUENGA, about a former cop/ recovering alcoholic who's looking for a missing teenage girl.