About the Author

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 selfproclaimed 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 newwriting 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.