Darlene loves Southern culture, history, and a good story. For her fifteenth birthday, her grandpa gave her an Encyclopedia of Serial Killers—a gift she credits for her lifelong fascination with psychology, true crime, and an irrational fear of the dark.

She has been married to her husband, Curtis (the voice behind the narration), for twenty-eight years. Together they raised four children. Just as they were finally starting to figure the parenting thing out, the kids grew up. These days, they’re enjoying the next chapter of life as proud grandparents to four wonderful grandchildren.

Darlene has always been an avid true crime podcast listener. As much as she loves hearing a well-told story, she loves telling one even more. Creating and hosting Hard Times & True Crimes has been a dream come true, giving her the opportunity to bring forgotten stories and overlooked victims back into the light.

Melody,  blissfully married  for over three decades,  has spent the bulk of her parenting years homeschooling her five children,  while simultaneously working a side hustle or two. She became interested in true crime as a teen after discovering a local author's books at the library. Her love of reading, writing,  and murder mysteries converged when she met Darlene and they discovered their mutual desire to produce a podcast telling true crime stories. Since she is the "Type-A" personality in the partnership, she takes care of the filing, back-ups,  and techie stuff. This also involves trying to keep Darlene organized and on track while they try out her rather creative and impressive ideas.