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West Jordan Journal

Renaissance resident Melanie P. Smith: from law enforcement to fiction writing

Dec 11, 2019 03:14PM ● By Jordan Hafford

Melanie P. Smith is an avid motorcyclist and owns her own Harley-Davidson (Melanie Smith)

By Jordan Hafford | [email protected]


Near the end of a long and successful career in law enforcement, West Jordan resident Melanie P. Smith decided to add a new skill to her already wide-ranging resume: writing fiction novels. 

Smith was born and raised in South Jordan and is one of seven children.

“Growing up, I always enjoyed a good adventure,” she said. “If I wasn’t engaged in it, I was reading about it or writing about it.”

Smith began her career in law enforcement as a secretary in the Juvenile Investigation Division. Shortly after, she transferred to internal affairs. 

In 1992, she accepted a position in the Special Operations Division as an office/volunteer coordinator where she worked closely with the department’s specialty units including K9, Motors, SWAT, Search and Rescue, and the Mounted Posse. 

She also coordinated communications and logistics for the SWAT Team and was a member of the Child Abduction Response Team’s logistical unit. 

As if 26 years serving the community in the law enforcement capacity wasn’t enough, she is also an amateur photographer and motorcyclist. Many of her own photos are used for her book covers. 

“My need for a challenge led me to the Special Operations Division where I continued to engage in a different kind of adventure,” she said. “Now, I am able to use my experience, training and imagination to share those adventures with others through my stories.”

Smith published “Dusk,” the first installment of her Warrior series, in July 2014. The series is a paranormal romance collection of seven novels and two novellas. 

After that, she published a string of adventure novels with plots that range from law enforcement (“The Thin Blue Line” series), all the way to psychological horror. In many of these, she has integrated her experience in law enforcement into exciting stories and created a successful writing career.

“Melanie has always loved writing,” said her mother, Christine Jensen. “Her dad and I are very proud of her many accomplishments.”

The most rewarding aspects of all her careers has been helping and inspiring people. She met with a 9-year-old fan and her mother for ice cream and found that to be one of the most satisfying interactions she has had as a writer. 

Smith not only discovered an extended family and friendships that will last a lifetime throughout her career in law enforcement but also a rewarding service to her community helping those in need, even though she may have technically been “behind the scenes.” 

“As a writer, I suppose I’m still doing my part to serve others — through entertainment,” she said. “The world is a dangerous chaotic place filled with controversy and oftentimes hatred. It’s important to me to create stories that bring hope, entertainment and joy to my readers. I like knowing I can create something that helps others escape the chaos for just a little while. And, for me, there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing someone picked up one of my stories and loved it.”

To see Smith’s full list of published works, see melaniepsmith.com.