The Case Files of Ronald T. Barone The Diplomat Vol. 1-Case No. 253

ABOUT THE SERIES I have loved mysteries, detective stories, spy thrillers, and all the rest, my entire life. I started with Nancy Drew and went from there. My favorite stories are those penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle showcasing his brilliant Sherlock Holmes. By the time I reached adulthood I'd read all the great old detective novels, watched wonderful films with detectives and their assistants, and then TV picked up on the popularity of mysteries and produced a large quantity of quality mystery programming. I'm particularly fond of BBC productions. A few years ago I decided to take a stab at writing a mystery and then it occurred to me it would be fun to do a series. I now have several outlines on my computer with mystery themes and I'm hoping to take Ronald and Claire on many great and scary adventures. My English degree has an additional focused study in multicultural literature, which I have utilized to add a few cultural enhancements to the stories. California is diverse and steeped in tradition for such a "new" region, compared to the rest of the world. Adding other cultures to my stories is great fun and an important part of integrating mystery with reality. I live in northern California and I've mostly lived in and around San Francisco. San Francisco is the perfect home base for my characters as it has been for dozens of wonderful detectives we've all enjoyed over the years. The foggy climate lends itself well to intrigue and sleuthing. I think Mr. Monk would approve.