Carol Potenza is an accomplished author, born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at New Mexico State University, where she resides in Las Cruces with her husband. The Organ Mountains provide a stunning backdrop to their home, which they enjoy in their leisure time.
By day, Potenza is a dedicated biochemistry professor, but when the sun goes down, she transforms into a creative mystery author. She finds great joy in combining her two careers, as it allows her to educate her students on the biochemical effects of poison while also using her knowledge to devise intricate murder methods in her novels. Potenza shares her home with her husband, Jose, and two inherited dogs, Daphne and Hermes, who were given to her by her sister.
Potenza's successful writing career began when she won the Tony Hillerman Prize for her first book, Hearts of the Missing. She has since published two more books in the Nicky Matthews mystery series, The Third Warrior and Spirit Daughters, which won the Daphne Du Maurier first prize for Mainstream Mystery and Suspense. In addition to this series, Potenza writes two other mystery series: the De-extinct Zoo Mysteries and the Lies series. She is known for her strong female sleuths, paranormal elements, and murder mysteries, which she calls "BiocheMystery." Potenza's books are all set in the beautiful state of New Mexico, where she currently resides with her husband, Leos, and her extremely grumpy rescue chihuahua, Hermès.