Most recently I have been focusing on my platform to include building a stronger social media presence, posting more frequently on my blog and listening to hours of podcasts by successful writers. The thing I keep finding is that to build your presence, following, and yes, sales, you must build your brand. A huge part of my “brand” and who I am is my history. And only those who know both identities know that part of me.
When I decided to start writing fiction, I gave a lot of thought to using my given name versus a pseudonym. I think on some levels I believed if I used a pseudonym, I could remain anonymous. It seemed so romantic – to have this almost secret identity. I put a lot of thought into the name I chose and although it is very special to me, I think it is time to let it go.
From 2002 to 2012 I was a police officer in one of the greatest cities in the country, Kansas City, Missouri (not to be confused with Kansas City, Kansas). I lived and worked in the urban core for 4 years during which time I knew I wanted to be a detective – very specifically a sex crimes detective. I worked hard and made sure they knew me in that unit. Shoot, I made sure they knew me in all the investigative units because you did not get to choose where you were assigned. I wrote very thorough, very detailed reports and arrested as many suspects with “pick-up orders” and arrest warrants as I could. I may or may not have ticked off a few detectives back in the day by arresting more than one person on the same day. You see, in Missouri, when the handcuffs go on a person with a pick-up order the detective has 24-hours to either get them charged or let them go. Did I mention I worked the night shift? So if I arrested someone it typically meant a long night ahead for whoever was working. And in January 2006 I got what I had been working so hard for; I was transferred to the Sex Crimes Unit and stayed there until the spring of 2012.
I loved my job. Actually love is probably a major understatement. My job was who I was. It was what I ate, drank, breathed and slept. In every pore of my being I was a detective and I was good at it. Very good. I am not being arrogant or conceited – at least not intentionally. I put a lot of work into perfecting my craft. I attended countless hours of training, often on my own dime, so that I could continue improving my skills. I read books and talked to people who were subject matter experts. I wanted to be the very best. The victims I worked with deserved that. I made a name for myself in my community among allied partners and even on the street. I worked hard for all victims – especially the ones who seemed to be forgotten or engaged in high risk lifestyles – victims who took longer to trust. I had amazing mentors who taught me more than they probably realize. I was blessed and honored to work with some of the best law enforcement officers in the world as well as allied partners within the community that taught me so much about forensics, forensic nursing, victim advocacy and the legal system.
As I worked hard and developed relationships, I began providing training to fellow law enforcement officers on my department and eventually around the world. I also provided training to our allied partners within the community and eventually around the country.
I probably never would have left but as much as I loved my job it was not always easy. The long hours took a toll on my home life and left no room for a personal one. Unfortunately my family often paid the price for my dedication. Even though I took regular vacations I never turned the work off and I did not practice very good self-care. Looking back I can see it clearly but at the time I am not sure I could have changed. What I was doing was so important and I felt like if I was not available for a even one moment everything would fall apart and a perpetrator would go free. Then major life events caused me to re-evaluate my priorities. At just the right time an opportunity came for me to live and work in the beautiful state of NC (where I vacationed every year).
Leaving the City of Fountains was actually one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. I was unsure about leaving my family, my friends and the career I had worked so hard for and loved so much. Then I remembered something a good friend said to me after he left the job. He said, “There is life after KCPD. And it is good.”
I took a pay-cut, packed up my son and my home and off we went to the mountains of NC. About a year later my daughter followed. Two years later we ended up in a little fishing village on the coast of NC. There have been a couple of moves since then, but the irony is I am currently living where I vacationed every year when I was with KCPD. I remember saying I would love to live in this little seaside village but never believed I could afford to because of the job market. Boy does God have a sense of humor!
Over the years I have been recognized as a subject matter expert in the field of sexual assault, specifically investigations. I have been privileged to instruct criminal justice professionals on the topic of gender-based violence investigations across the United States, in the US Virgin Islands and in Africa. It has been an incredible adventure.
I have written numerous articles for professional journals, online magazines and contributed to a textbook. Under my pseudonym, K.T. Dale I have self-published two novels and am finishing a third. Make no mistake the novels I have written are fiction, but some may recognize the shell of a case and maybe even a character or two as they delve into the stories. The city streets and parts of town are all real places but the some of the business names and addresses have been altered intentionally. I have done my best to paint my department, the department I was incredibly proud to serve, and the people I was blessed to work with in the light in which I saw them. My time there was not perfect, but it was a phenomenal training ground and one I would not change for anything because even on the bad days it was the best job I ever had. There are days, probably more than I care to admit, that I think about what it would be like to go back. I know I made the right decision for my family, but that is how much I loved it. Those same days I sit on my front porch or take a walk on the sandy beach near my home and I realize I am where I am supposed to be right now. Besides, you can’t go back. Not really. So, instead, I write about a feisty female detective who loves to jam to Chris Daughtry and will stop at 
nothing to get justice.
So now you know the rest of the story about the author behind the City of Fountains series (please excuse the shameless Paul Harvey reference). She is a real person. She was a real police officer and detective. She was a single mom who struggled with trying to balance a career she loved with being a good mom. She was a woman with friends and family that helped with her children which in turn helped her be successful. She used to run and still loves jamming to Chris Daughtry!
Most of the places are real – including “The Farm” where Frankie’s brother lives, the parks where she runs and the pub where they all go for drinks in the novels. Some of the characters in the novels are inspired by one person, some a compilation of a few people and others are complete figments of my imagination.
If you haven’t read the series yet, what are you waiting for? Dive in and let yourself be transported to the City of Fountains. You’ll be glad you did!