As a former Northwest Florida girl living in LA —Lower Alabama, writing erotic romance deep in the southern region known as the Bible Belt, anonymity was key…in the beginning. Therefore, she used the pen name Jessika Klide. Chosen to honor her grandmother, who first introduced her to romance novels. But with remarkable success, claiming many bestseller tags in numerous categories since debuting that first explicit erotic novel in 2014, which subsequently reached #4 in the entire Kindle store, keeping her identity secret is no longer a big deal. 

Meet Cindee Bartholomew, the woman behind the pen name Jessika Klide. Cindee married her high school sweetheart, who went on to become a Warrant Officer for the US Army and flew UH1 Huey helicopters. Together, they embarked on a journey that took them to Germany, where they traveled, exploring Europe before returning to Alabama to start a family. Her personal journey influenced her writing, adding depth and authenticity to her characters and stories.

As a former military spouse, the author's male characters often mirror the strength, decisiveness, and determination of military men. While her female characters are headstrong, independent, and brimming with sass. Cindee’s firm belief in love at first sight and soulmates is a recurring theme in her work, as she strives to bring her readers the perfect blend of heat, heart, and happy endings in every book. 

Cindee published an alternate plot version of Siri and Aurei’s love story, titled Deceit and Truth under her real name, because her mother wanted to read her writing. While this alternate story has plenty of steamy prose, it lacks the shock and awe of The Cocktail Party.

Cindee also writes military, mission-oriented, romantic suspense, thrillers as Stingray23, a pen name picked by her husband.