Valerie R. Drees worked for many years in the corporate sphere, buying interior design materials for a bank in Glendale, California. She shifted careers in her mid-30s, becoming a teacher of World History and Geography to exceptional high school girls in Pasadena, California. Upon her relocation to Virginia Beach, Virginia, she continued her teaching career at a community college, offering courses in European History, as well as English as a second language. Until a few years ago, her writing record was tied to her work as a history instructor, including several non-fiction articles for an historical journal, and a local (Virginia Beach) police department history chapbook. Valerie left teaching to devote herself full time to writing.