As Sara Ennis, I write dark, psychological thrillers where obsession runs deep, survival isn’t guaranteed, and humanity teeters on the edge. The stories can be brutal, unsettling—but there’s always, always hope in the end. The spark usually comes from real-life cases that make me stop and say, What!?! And while no one is ever truly safe in my books, one rule stands: the dog never dies.

As Sara Isabelle, I flip the switch, crafting cozy mysteries filled with humor, found family, and small-town charm that makes people say, I want to live there. There’s still crime (because what’s a mystery without a little murder?), but it comes with a side of warmth, wit, and at least one adorable pet.

Before I wrote full time, I tried on a lot of different lives—working in law firms, construction sites, nonprofits, startups, and even convincing people to buy insurance. In 2008, I founded an animal welfare nonprofit that’s still going strong, and I spent years running a social impact pet food company.

Basically, I’ve always been drawn to the why of life, which means stories—whether they belong to people, animals, or are just something I make up in my head. Now, I get to tell stories for a living, which is a pretty great gig.

When I’m not writing, I’m traveling, taste-testing tequila, and indulging my fascination with the weirdness of the human brain. And when Charlie, my blind Aussie/Husky mix, demands Ball!, everything else goes on hold—because some stories can wait, but fetch is forever.