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. She married her high school sweetheart, who later became a helicopter pilot for the army. Together, they embarked on a journey that took them to Germany, where they explored Europe before returning to Alabama to start a family. This personal journey has undoubtedly 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 she witnessed in military men. Her female characters, on the other hand, are headstrong, independent, and brimming with sass. Her 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. 

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

Plus she writes spicy, military, mission-oriented, romantic suspense, thrillers as Stingray23 (a pen name her husband chose.)