Helena Smrcek's Author Bio Writing fascinated me at an early age. Somehow I always ran out of paper before I ran out of words.My first ever publishing attempt, during the second year of high school, warrantied the unwanted attention of the Czechoslovakian Secret Police. It was 1985, the iron fist of the communist still firmly in place, leaving no room for freedom of speech. Four years later, still in high school, a refugee struggling with English, The Mississauga News published my first three articles. The last one earned me a by-line and a twenty dollar check. Necessities came before a journalism degree. As many new immigrants, I got a job and focused on my young family, but in 1999 I could no longer resist the urge and wrote a string of one hundred articles within a span of two years.

2004-2006 offered a taste of what it takes to work in a television production. I met New York Times best-selling author Cec Murphey. He asked me what I wanted to do. I reluctantly admitted I wanted to write fiction. To my great surprise he offered to mentor me. Meeting Jane Kirkpatrick sparked my interest in historical fiction. Her immigrant stories of the past inspired an idea for a new project.In October of 2011, Kingdom beyond Borders was published.

A collection of true refugees stories of our time. The stories I wanted to tell didn't fit into any genre. Meeting Angela Hunt, encouraged me. Her work didn't fit into a box either, yet her stories were fascinating.Nancy Rue, guided me through the next stage of my journey, solidifying my conviction that all writing, specially fiction, needs a purpose and soul.To say that Jerry B. Jenkins influenced my writing career would be an understatement. Not only has he achieved what no one before him has, but he is a man of great integrity and purpose.

I have joined his writer's guild, and under DiAnn Mills' mentorship spent a year further developing my storytelling skills. In her books I found not only crime and justice, but also a profound message, and realized that fiction can be entertaining and life changing at the same time. Fifteen years in the making, I hope my stories deliver style and substance, unforgettable characters and fast-paced entertainment.