Maria Larsen

Maria Larsen was born and raised in Pacific Grove, California. After graduating from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design, Maria started a screen-printing company in 1990. The San Diego Police Department hired Maria as a patrol officer in 1993. An on-duty injury forced her into medical retirement in 2002. During a lengthy rehabilitation, Maria wrote about the dogs she rescued from the streets as a police officer: "When It Reigns, It Pours: Dog Tales." In 2009 she started a book publishing company, Hands On Publishing. She also wrote a fiction thriller called "The Grey Matter." In 2010 both of her books were finalists in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Maria's latest crime thriller, "Protect & Serve: K-9 Policewoman," also won an award from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

In 2013 Maria joined forces with her childhood friend Joe Garcia, to write the extraordinary tale of his rescued dog Lola. The Dog Writer's Association of America nominated "They Call Me Lola" for an award of excellence. In 2014 Joe and Maria teamed up again to write the sequel to Lola's extraordinary journey. "My Name Is Daria," written in the perspective of one of Lola's beloved daughters. Maria's e-book with color photos of her rescued dogs, "When It Reigns, It Pours: Dog Tales," won awards in both the memoir and animal/pet categories for the eLit Book Awards in 2014. Maria lives in San Diego with her three beloved shepherds. Connect with Maria on twitter @MariaLarsenSDPD. Retired SDPD Officer and self-published author.