I write crime stories about strong women. My first novel, MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT, about a grandma, single mom, and teenage girl who come together to solve a murder mystery, is out September 5 from William Morrow. Writing has always been my joy. In college, I was an electrical engineering student by day and a slam poet by night. After a brief stint at NASA, I started designing interactive exhibits and eventually became a museum director. I wrote two books of nonfiction about creating participatory, relevant cultural institutions. Nonprofits were my "real" job; writing was on the side. Then, my mom got sick. I quit my job to help care for her, and I found myself turning to fiction—crime stories especially—as a way to escape and find some pleasure during a hard time. My mom and I both always loved mysteries, and I decided to try to write one myself, with a detective/hero based on my mother. Now, my mom is doing better, and I'm gratefully spending my days reading, writing, caring for my family, and making stories my focus for the first time. I live off-the-grid in the Santa Cruz mountains. You can find out more about me at https://ninaksimon.com/ I write a very occasional newsletter at https://ninaksimon.substack.com/