***Maria McKenzie writes historical and contemporary romance. She also writes mysteries as Marissa Allen.***

Maria’s work has appeared in Kirkus Reviews, Romance Writer’s Report and Romance University. She has also been interviewed on Denise Turney’s Off the Shelf Books Podcast and has been a featured guest at Fresh Fiction.

Weaving together history, scandal, romance and suspense, Maria writes historical fiction in the form of forbidden love stories. Mixed race romance from the American past provides heart wrenching conflict as well as incredible pain, and those elements combined create amazing stories. Being in an interracial marriage herself, Maria enjoys exploring the topic.  Her novels are inspired by true stories, as well as her imagination.

Her RomCozy Black OOps Detective series features ex-FBI agent turned detective Tracy Black, of Black Ops Detective Agency, and her partner, ex-Navy SEAL and all-around tough guy Adam Slade. Laughter and mayhem abound in the mysteries they manage to stumble into. 

Maria graduated from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor's in English, and then attended Atlanta University where she received a Master's in Library Science.