Michaela Riley

Michaela Riley grew up in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia in a town that borders the Ohio River and is surrounded by beautiful rolling hills. 

As a child Riley would spend most of her time reading every book she could carry home from the school library. She admits, “Being a writer was a fairytale for someone else’s life. Then I found a story that needed to be told.”  

Riley left West Virginia to join the Army in 1981 and quickly realized that the quiet life of West Virginia was very different than the screaming platoon sergeant. She decided early in her military career that she would go to college and that law was her first career choice.  

During her college years and after completion of her active duty tour during the Gulf War, she supported herself in a variety of healthcare positions. She plans on retiring from the Army Reserves this year and smiles as she says, “It was the best job and career I have ever had. I love my country.”

Nearly twenty six years later Riley has completed a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and a Master of Business Administration degree. She has been practicing as a Registered Nurse for almost twenty years and is the CEO of her own Professional Development Company.

Riley began to pursue writing when she had the misfortune of spending time in a local court room. Research revealed increasing rates of plea bargaining and malicious prosecution. “I have always been an advocate for people in need. When your right to speak for yourself is prevented, something has to be done. The story must be told, everyone has a story. Writing has become something I am passionate about and I am working on two other fiction novels.”

Riley lives near the Eastern Shore of Virginia. She has a son and a Labrador retriever.  When not writing, Michaela gardens, cooks, and enjoys the outdoors with her family. Her favorite pastime is spent reading, going to movies or walking on the beach.