Like most authors, Ann Rule didn’t dive into the world of writing right after college. Although she did major in creative writing, her real passion was in unraveling the mysteries of the criminal mind. 1.They didn’t have majors related to forensics and crime, so she took many courses related to science and psychology. Ann began her adult life as a police officer for the Seattle Police Department, which was known across the country for 2.their high profile cases. Even though she liked 3.it more, she also wrote regularly for the True Detective magazine and volunteered at an abuse hotline. When writing for the magazine, Ann used a fake name, Andy Stark. She also published several books under 4.that. While many say that the writing style of her works is similar to that of Edward Stratemeyer, creator of the Nancy Drew series, she maintains that 5.they aren’t. Her stories’ characters, who are quite eccentric, by 6.itself are enough to distinguish her work from others.

Ms. Rule’s first book was titled The Stranger Beside Me, which, like many of her other books, was turned into a movie. Ann played a large part in 7.it’s making. In fact, she wrote the script for the movie and distributed 8.them to everyone involved. She also worked as a consultant and even helped choose the actors for the different roles. Ann liked to choose actors that resembled the characters that 9.he or she was playing. Ann Rule loves her fan base. After the release of each book, she makes a special point of answering 10.their emails and attending as many book signings as possible even though ID 11.they have caused her serious problems with her wrist. Halfway through, she had to start using a rubber stamp instead of signing 12.them personally. Ann had to cancel appearances after the release of her latest book because of a broken hip, but any reader can still get 13.his or her favorite book autographed by
mailing it in.