Karen Leigh Charles

Biography

Karen Leigh Charles has worked as a child advocate, a human rights commissioner, and an art educator. Building on those experiences, she started writing and soon found herself fascinated by the creative process. She is also the author of the award-winning Beth Getty Mysteries, which she writes as Karen Neary Smithson. Alongside her writing, Karen is a professional artist with paintings featured in local galleries. Her interests also led to appearances as an extra in movies and television programs filmed in Baltimore. She lives with her husband and three rescued-turned-show cats in historic Ellicott City, Maryland.