DUNCAN, Christine H.

PERSONAL:

Born in Salem, NJ; daughter of Joseph and Mildred Hassler; married Gerald Duncan (a steel detailer); children: Melissa, Devin, Gerald, Jr., Russell (stepson). Education: Attended University of Florida, 1973-75, San Jose State University, 1976, and Humboldt State University, c. 1978. Religion: Christian.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Treble Heart Books, 1284 Overlook Dr., Sierra Vista, AZ 85635-5512. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer.

MEMBER:

Sisters in Crime, Electronically Published Internet Connection, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

WRITINGS:

Safe Beginnings (mystery novel), Treble Heart Books (Sierra Vista, AZ), 2002.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Safe House and Safe Reunion, additional novels in a mystery series featuring the character Kaye Berreano.

SIDELIGHTS:

Christine H. Duncan told CA: "I write the Kaye Berreano mystery series because I want to make a statement about domestic violence. I believe that it affects so very many lives, yet as a society we don't really want to talk about it. A lot of people prefer to think it doesn't happen to people like them, and many of us seem to think that the whole problem of domestic violence is covered by having laws against it and battered women's shelters.

"In these books I make an effort to show how stretched the resources of the shelters are. I also make an attempt to show how far short the law can fall from protecting these women.

"Yet I purposely made this a cozy mystery series because I didn't want people to say they couldn't read it because it was too dark, or too graphic. Kaye is a counselor who goes home to her own life and problems, providing a contrast to the shelter. Domestic violence is, unfortunately, a part of life, and I wanted the setting to reflect that."