Rebecca A. Miles (Stepek) was raised, educated, and established her career in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From her work as a psychologist specializing in Behavioral Medicine in Oncology, she became a recognized expert and presenter on grief, the grieving process, and the psychology of dealing with loss. Through the fictional characters in Ground Truth: A Pittsburgh Murder Mystery, she explores the themes of loss and love, two states that she considers to be universal in human experience.