Bio


	Ronald Cree was raised in Greenhills, Ohio, and attended the University of Colorado, where he studied television production and mass media communications. He spent three years as an unpaid volunteer, working with the rural residents of Appalachia, the homeless in Chicago, and orphaned boys in Canada. In 1989, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.

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There, he spent an additional year and a half teaching and mentoring Latino youth in West Oakland.

He was employed for six years by the Oakland Athletics Baseball Company and three years with Sega of America. He also worked as a bookseller for two years, and his relationships with bookstores and sellers remain strong to this day.

In 1993, Ronald adopted a thirteen-year-old Latino boy and raised him as a single father.

Ronald began writing Desert Blood 10PM/9C as a class project taught by Anthony and Agatha
Award-winning author Rhys Bowen. Drawing on his relationship with his adopted son, as well as his close friendships with several popular Hollywood actors, Ronald crafted a unique first mystery involving highly successful Latinos in the entertainment industry.

Working with actors Nicholas Gonzalez and Eva Longoria, Ronald created a realistic pair of characters for his debut novel. Desert Blood 10pm/9c authentically captures the feel of the set of a popular TV show.

Did You Know? The characters of Nicholas Hernandez and Aurora Castillo were drawn from Ronald’s real-life relationships with Nicholas Gonzalez and Eva Longoria Parker. Read the book and see if you can spot the similarities for yourself!




	The picture to the right is of Rafael Gonzalez. I met him in 1988, while working as an occupational therapist aide at a hospital in Lancaster, California. He was a tough little thirteen-year-old who grew up in the Los Angeles County foster care system. I used to spend many weekends at the McClaren’s Childrens Center in El Monte, visiting Ralf and making sure he was okay. We would sit in the yard under the watchful eyes of the security guards, and he would tell me about his week. I always brought him treats and necessities, so it wasn’t unusual to see the two of us eating butterscotch pudding while surrounded by piles of new shoes, clean jeans, and fresh underwear. Ralf never did escape his government upbringing, and has spent most of his adult life in and out of prison. It is to him that Desert Blood is dedicated. He was my inspiration for Gus.

In 1993, I took in and later adopted a young Latino boy named Gabriel. This is him in 1994, around the age of fourteen. He’s a man now, but he’s not much bigger! He’s been the best kid you can imagine. We make a great team and take good care of each other. He lives on his own now, but still comes by the house to eat my food and watch my TV. At least he does his own laundry! He helped me with the Spanish in the book, correcting me (with a laugh and shake of his head) whenever I made a mistake.

This is Lalo Enriquez, one of my best friends. He has one of the biggest hearts of any person I’ve ever met. These pictures were taken in Durango, Mexico, where he currently lives with his wife and two young daughters.

I met Lalo while teaching elementary school in 1991. I was there as part of a three-year volunteer program that reached out to Latinos in Oakland’s east side.

Lalo is largely responsible for teaching me Spanish and introducing me to a lot of Mexican culture, especially the foods, music, and fantastic parties. I could think of no one better to name Gus’s best friend after than my own.


	Meet Diego. In addition to being my godson, he is one of my most constant traveling companions. Dozens of trips to Disneyland and Six Flags, visiting family, and long weekends in places like Texas, Hawaii, Colorado, and London are always filled with laughs and good times when Diego is aboard.

I first met Diego when he was nine years old. Over the past twelve years, I have seen him grow into the responsible young man he is today.

During the times I had my hands full raising Gabriel, Diego kept me sane and in touch with the joyful side of adolescence. His friendly personality, sharp sense of humor, and willingness to try new things still make for many fun adventures in my life and provide me with a rich source of creative material for my writing.


	Ahhhh...family! This is my younger brother, actor Nar Williams. That’s him to the left. I’m the second oldest of six children. I also have two sisters and two other brothers.

		The photo to the right is one of my father, my mother, and my buddy Nathan Marlow on a recent stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.