Barbara Seranella, auto mechanic-turned mystery writer
Out of the depths of the OC comes word that Barbara Seranella, an auto mechanic-turned mystery writer, died Sunday in Cleveland, Ohio, of end-stage liver disease while awaiting a third liver transplant. She was 50 years old.
“After writing her first book, ‘No Human Involved,’ which was published in 1997 and was No. 5 on the Los Angeles Times best-seller list, she gained popularity for suspense novels based on the adventures of Munch Muncini, a female auto and motorcycle mechanic/detective with a checkered past not unlike that of the author.”
“She went on to see seven more books in that series published. A new book, ‘Deadman’s Switch,’ based on a different character, is expected to be released in April.”
“Born in Santa Monica, Seranella grew up in Pacific Palisades and ran away from home at age 14, joining a hippie commune in San Francisco and riding with an outlaw motorcycle gang known as the Heathens. During that time, she became all too familiar with drugs, alcohol and jail time. She was arrested 13 times for various offenses.”
“At age 22, she got sober and decided to settle down. She worked at an Arco station in Sherman Oaks for five years, then for a Texaco station in Brentwood, where she became service manager and married her boss, Ron Seranella, in 1994. They had homes in Laguna Beach and in La Quinta.”
Her web site - BarbaraSeranella.com has a link to some of her short pieces including her first published bit titled “Biker Wedding”:
“Do you, Michael Sanderson, aka James Sanderson, aka Michael Bennett, aka Randy Ross, aka Driveshaft Randy, aka Crazy Mike,” the preacher asked, “take this mama, Barbara Waller, aka Barbara Sampson, aka Claretta Washington, aka Snaggletooth, aka Crazy Barbara, as your lawfully wedded whatizzit?”
~~The ODDones for OurDailyDead.com
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