Meet My Writing Partner

I thought it was time to introduce my partner in my endeavor to bring Rude Awakening to life, and finally share the story of what really happened related to the attempt by my ex-wife Lisa Whedbee and her lover, Michael Frazier, to murder me. The book chronicles the years preceding the attempt on my life, the traumatic event, and the legal fiasco that followed.

Sheree Ann Martines

Sheree Ann Martines has logged more than two decades as a successful marketing-communications professional with emphasis in the non-profit arena where her writing and speaking skills were honed and diversely employed across all media.

A writer since childhood and a contributor to National Public Radio, Sheree has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. She has also won several awards for her poetry and essays. For more than six years she has maintained a blog on living with bipolar disorder. She is a passionate advocate for advancement in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness, and for animal adoption and rescue.

Fascinated by forensics and true crime, she was intrigued by Rob Whedbee’s story after viewing several crime shows that featured the attempt on his life. She knew there was so much more to the story, and believed it needed to be told. After numerous discussions with Mr. Whedbee and a trip to Knoxville in October to meet, they agreed to join forces to write this book.

 

In March, Sheree spent almost two weeks in Knoxville conducting research for the book, and interviewing law enforcement officials, the attorneys, family members, witnesses, jurors, and journalists involved in the story. She returned home with more than 2000 pages of legal documents from the case and four legal pads filled with notes from her interviews.

Ms. Martines is an avid outdoors woman, loving camping, white water rafting, and “digging in the dirt.” She calls the foothills of North Carolina home.