About the Author

Kindel Sartell Tyner never imagined she'd become an author, but sometimes life has a way of turning unexpected moments into stories worth sharing. Her debut children's book, Puddles, The Arizona Duckling, emerged from a real-life experience when five orphaned ducklings appeared in her backyard pool following a desert monsoon storm. What began as an impromptu rescue mission became a beloved story that captures the wonder of unexpected responsibility and the joy of nurturing life. The book's authentic charm stems from Kindel's firsthand experience raising the ducklings, a journey that friends and family insisted she share with young readers.

Kindel's transition to adult fiction came during a visit to her hometown of Sartell, Minnesota. Standing on the banks of the Mississippi River—the same waters that defined her childhood—she felt compelled to explore the complex relationship between family, hidden histories, and the town that defined them. The Dam's Secret, her debut thriller, examines how communities construct narratives around their past and what happens when someone dares to challenge the discrepancies. Drawing on her Minnesota roots and her understanding of how families protect their legacies, Kindel crafted a multi-generational story that questions the price of truth and the weight of inherited secrets.

Kindel lives in Queen Creek, Arizona with her husband, Terry. She is the mother of two adult children, Sara and Marcus. An avid reader and world traveler, she brings a global perspective to her work while remaining deeply connected to the Midwestern values of her upbringing. She is currently developing a holiday installment in the Puddles series and a prequel to The Dam's Secret that will explore protagonist Kendra's formative years in Sartell and her early career as a flight attendant—a narrative that draws on Kindel's own experiences navigating the complexities of international travel from the perspective of small town values.