About The Author
Bullets zipped out of a darkened window of the two-story building, knocking
leaves off the trees above the patrol car. At 3:24 a.m., the officer at the
wheel slid low in his seat and sped away while calling in a
Code Red. A block
over he parked with the engine running, as backup arrived without lights or
sirens. Drawing a small handgun
from his vest, he tucked it beside his passenger, got out, locked the door, and
said, "If you have to use that don’t say where it came from."
What a riveting start for a tale of mystery and suspense. However, the
preceding narrative is not a fictional account. Noreen Ayres was that passenger,
and the recipient of the firearm from the officer. She was in that patrol
car on a hot summer Southern California night on an approved civilian "ridealong."
Looking for authenticity to infuse into her writing, she got a lot more than she
bargained for. And, in the bargain, came away with a deeper understanding
and respect for the complexities of the difficult and dangerous job of law
enforcement.
That same night, along with the officer, she encountered gangbangers, stabbing victims, junkyard junkies, street prostitutes and, on an isolated street with a park on one side and a boarded-up building with broken windows on the other, held a patrol unit spotlight on two suspected bank robbers with tattoos flowing down their upraised arms like blue Kool-Aid. Just another night on the job for a cop, that’s the realization the author came away with.
Once she decided to write, Noreen had
to pursue the knowledge and feelings about her subject matter. Without them, she
felt her story
telling
would be presumptuous and shallow. So, to aid her pursuit of authenticity, she
attended classes in criminal investigation, toured prisons, jails, crime labs,
and morgues, and endured many times the gut-wrenching emotions that the
uninitiated experience when viewing an autopsy. To further enhance her knowledge
of forensic science Noreen completed classes at UCI and Irvine Valley College.
Noreen Ayres has published novels, short stories, and poetry, and has had
three teleplays produced, winning several awards for writing. Her varied career
includes positions as a technical writer and publications manager for major
engineering, petroleum, and aerospace companies. Holding a Masters degree in
English and post-grad certifications in business, she has taught composition, creative writing,
business, and science. Her spirit is indomitable. An example of this is, "I
once received an odd personal rejection I didn't appreciate then but gave me
hope once I thought about it. During a job interview which included an IQ
test, the boss said he wouldn’t hire me because I was too smart. I'd be
wasting my time at his shop. He said to
keep going to school, that I’d be successful somehow, in something."
Her story of perseverance is told in a book whose title says it
all: UNSTOPPABLE.
Her story is featured alongside such notable figures as Paul Orfalea, the
founder of Kinko’s, Millard and Linda Fuller, the founders of Habitat for
Humanity, performer Joan Rivers, and a host of others.
Enjoy her works, enjoy her web site, her Links &
Faves,
and welcome to A World the COLOR
of Noreen.
You can 
Noreen
@ Her
Guest Book