Melanie P. Smith went to Dixie State College and the University of Phoenix where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. She also has a Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution and Negotiation from the University of Utah. She has worked for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office for over 24 years, most of which has been in the Special Operations Division. She is part of the support staff for the SWAT Team and The Child Abduction Response Team, where she coordinates communications and logistics. She also works closely with Search & Rescue, The Mounted Posse, K9 and the Motorcycle Squad. Melanie has been able to utilize both her knowledge of police operations and business practices to make her novels fun and exciting.