Rita Hanner-Ward

Rita Hanner‑Ward is an award‑winning contemporary American novelist and screenwriter whose work spans fiction, poetry, and film.

Her screenwriting focuses on character‑driven stories across genres—from dark comedy to dramatic features—reflecting her interest in visual storytelling and emotionally grounded narratives. Most recently, her dramatic screenplay What We Leave Unsaid was named a Finalist in the May 2026 Wiki Screenplay Contest.

Her novels have earned Silver and Bronze Seals from the Manhattan Book Awards, a genre win from the International Impact Book Awards, and multiple finalist placements. Writing under the pen name Kiva Wolfe (TM), she creates international romantic‑suspense adventures set in the high‑stakes world of the precious‑gem trade. Her debut novel, Red Flash, was republished independently in 2026, followed by its sequel, Tears of Iemanjá. She is currently completing the final book in the Gem Provenance Legacy series.

Her poetry collections explore themes of memory, grief, and redemption, including Her Inconvenient Elegy, Her Song of Sorrows, and Her Proffered Epiphany.

Photo credit: L Cowles Photography