R. MARQUEZ resides in the Pacific Northwest, a place that inspired her to create the fictional city of Couper, Washington, located across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon. She was brought to the region in a similar fashion as her main character in the <strong>Matty Cruz Adventure</strong> series, and, like Matty, she had to reinvent herself quickly—but in a less colorful way. <br><br>The <strong>Carol Karuso Mystery</strong> trilogy is also based in Couper and continues on from the first series. <br><br>R. Marquez’s short stories have been published in various magazines.