Doresa Banning (much older than in the photo) just published a true crime book, THE ENDS. It’s the story of two young lovebirds’ felonious crimes in 1947 in the U.S. and their legal journey and life afterward. It’s available on her website’s bookshelf and on Amazon.com.
Prior to that, she published the nonfiction book, A BOLD GAMBLE AT LAKE TAHOE: CRIME AND CORRUPTION IN A CASINO’S EVOLUTION, in December 2019.
She continues to relay true historic gambling-related stories on her blog, IT REALLY HAPPENED! Topics include crimes, celebrities, mobsters, greed, laws, follies, legal cases, corruption, scandals, unusual events and more.
When not pursuing her own writing projects, Doresa still works as a freelance writer and editor for businesses and publications.
A Look Back
Doresa has been writing and loving it since, well, first grade, maybe earlier, but that’s as far back as she can remember. At age six, she won first place for a Thanksgiving essay in her elementary school’s American Heritage Contest. Little did she know then that later in life she’d make a career of writing.
Almost every year through 12th grade, she wrote in her “School Years” memory book, designed to capture annual personal snapshots, that she wanted to be a writer. In some aberrant years, her career choice was “artist” and “school teacher”; clearly she was high on carob at those times.
Despite those signs and continuous inner rumblings about needing to write, she veered off the path. At 22, she founded dbScribe, a San Diego-based medical transcription business, which she ran for eight years.
When done with that (so done, in fact), she sold the enterprise, finished a bachelor’s in Writing and Literature from the University of California, San Diego and moved to Reno in 2000. She vowed to pursue writing, whatever it took. And she did. Oh, and she earned a master’s in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno along the way.
Her Personal Side
Doresa grew up in Southern California when, like, it was hip to be, like, a “valley girl.” Now, high desert of Reno, Nevada is her home … despite being allergic to sagebrush.
Having lived for a decade in San Diego, she remains a Chargers fan (despite their relocation to Los Angeles!). In her free time, she loves to read books and online news, jog, do crossword puzzles (in pencil), watch crime shows and knit/crochet wearable accessories.