The mystery genre took hold of Sherrill Joseph as a fifth grader when she discovered Nancy Drew and Phyllis A. Whitney mysteries. Years later, it still hasn't let go. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English literature and a master's in education, Sherrill spent the next thirty-five years as a K-12 literacy teacher. When she retired from teaching in 2013, the Botanic Hill Detectives and their mysteries finally sprang to life. Forever inspired by her beautiful students in the San Diego public schools, the author has peopled and themed the Botanic Hill Detectives mysteries with children of various abilities, cultures, races, and interests. She strongly believes that embracing diversity is the key to a better world. She created her detectives to be mature, smart, polite role models that will appeal to parents, teachers, and kids, who seek to realize their greatest potential with confidence. Sherrill is a native San Diegan where she lives in a 1928 Spanish-style house in a historic neighborhood with her poodle-bichon rescue, Jimmy Lambchop. In addition to her dog, the city of San Diego, reading and writing, the author loves her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. She must also include dark chocolate, popcorn, old movies, the color purple, and daisies. Having never lived in a two-story house, she is naturally fascinated by staircases. She is a member of SCBWI, Blackbird Writers, Children's Literature Council of Southern California, and the Authors' Guild. She promises many more adventures with the squad to come. CONNECT WTH SHERRILL AND HER BOOKS HERE WWW.SHERRILLJOSEPH.COM And On Twitter @MysteryAuthor7, On Instagram @sherrilljosephauthor, On Facebook @BHDMysteriesAuthor On Pinterest @mysteryshewrote7