Greetings, fans of the psychic and supernatural! I'm Stephen Woodworth, author of the Violet Series of paranormal suspense novels, and whether you are a reader of my previous books or a curious newcomer, I welcome your interest in my writing. I've wanted to tell stories almost from the time I learned to read'to give other people the thrill of excitement and adventure that books have always given me. The idea for THROUGH VIOLET EYES, the first book in the series, occurred to me after watching far too many true-crime TV shows. Inevitably, whenever these shows depict an unsolved murder case, the host will come on at the end and, in a grim, hard-boiled baritone, say something like "The only people who will ever really know what happened on that fateful night are the killer... and the victims." And I got to wondering: What if a detective could interview a murder's ultimate witness? Indeed, what if this became standard procedure, and victims could even accuse their killers in court? Could someone still get away with murder in such a world? Would the dead be any more reliable than a living witness? Or would they merely add their own prejudices, misconceptions, and hidden agendas to a homicide investigation?From such speculation were born the Violets, a group of violet-eyed mediums, rare genetic anomalies who are prized by society for their abilities yet shunned as freakish reminders of human mortality. As I started writing, I began to contemplate the dramatic possibilities offered by a world in which the door between the living and the dead is left open. Here is an alternate reality in which one could buy a freshly painted Picasso or a CD of a symphony that Beethoven composed from beyond the grave. A place where the dead can guide avaricious archaeologists to hunt for hidden treasure. A world in which, for a price, one can make amends with estranged family members who have passed on. I hope that, through the Violet novels, you will enjoy exploring this world as much as I have.