Cheryl Bradshaw is a successful American author, best known for her mystery, thriller, and romantic suspense novels. She was born in Covina, California, and spent her childhood in Tehachapi. Bradshaw's maiden name, Elsasser, is a shortened version of Alsace-Lorraine, reflecting her German ancestry. Her European roots are believed to be tied to English and French royalties, including Henry I and Charlemagne.
From a young age, Bradshaw had a keen interest in writing. She took advanced English classes in high school and wrote short stories and poems, some of which were published in her school's creative writing book. After high school, she attended Dixie State College in Utah, majoring in English. Bradshaw's writing career took off with the creation of the Sloane Monroe series, a New York Times bestselling mystery series about a fictional character named Sloane Monroe, an OCD-challenged and sassy private eye. The series has won numerous awards, including the Shamus Award for best private eye novel of the year in 2013 for the book "Stranger in Town" and the Festival of Words best thriller book award in the same year for "I Have a Secret."
Bradshaw has written and published a total of 13 novels and 4 novellas in her writing career. She is a prolific author who has published over fifty books since 2011. Besides the Sloane Monroe series, she has written several other series, including the Georgiana Germaine mystery series, Sloane Monroe mystery/thriller series, Sloane & Maddie Peril Awaits mystery series, Addison Lockhart ghost mystery series, and standalone mystery/thriller novels. She has also written poetry and is a Shamus Award finalist for best private eye novel of the year, as well as an eFestival of Words winner for best thriller.
Bradshaw is an active member of The Twelve, a group of thriller writers considered to be some of the best in the genre. She was raised in Southern California and now lives in tropical Cairns, Australia, where she enjoys hiking in the rainforest, diving in the Great Barrier Reef, jet setting to new countries, playing with her sausage dog Luka, and eating her weight in cheese.