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DONNA ANDREWS
Virginia
Although she read widely as a child, especially in fantasy and science fiction, Donna Andrews's love of mystery developed during her college years (particularly at exam time.) In the fall of 1997 she started on the road to publication by submitting her first completed mystery manuscript to the Malice Domestic/St. Martin's Press Best First Traditional Mystery contest. Murder with Peacocks was selected, and won the Agatha, Anthony, Barry, and Romantic Times awards for best first novel and the Lefty award for the funniest mystery of 1999. Subsequent books have also received Agatha and Lefty nominations, and Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon won the Toby Bromberg Award for Excellence (presented by Romantic Times) for the Most Humorous Mystery of 2003. Her latest book in the Meg Langslow series is The Penguin Who Knew Too Much.
Andrews also writes another series featuring Artificial Intelligence Personality Turing Hopper, which was partly inspired by her experience as a translator between the marketing and systems departments at her day job. Andrews notes that in these books she seeks to use computers and other technology accurately without making the action incomprehensible for readers who prefer whodunits to computer manuals. The first book in the series, You've Got Murder, won the Agatha award for best mystery of 2002.
A member of MWA, Sisters in Crime, and the Private Investigators and Security Association, Andrews spends her free time gardening and conquering the world (but only in Civilization IV).
Meg Langslow Mysteries:
Swan for the Money, ISBN: 978-0312377175, St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover, 320 pages, $24.99, July 2009.
Six Geese a-Slaying (A Meg Langslow Christmas Surprise), ISBN: 978-0312536107, St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover, 272 pages, $22.95, October 2008.
Cockatiels at Seven, ISBN: 978-0312377151, St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover, 320 pages, $23.95, July 2008.
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much, ISBN: 978-0312997922, St. Martin's paperback, 352 pages, $6.99, August 2007.
No Nest for the Wicket, ISBN: 0312329407, St. Martin's paperback, 320 pages, $6.99, August 2006.
Owl's Well That Ends Well, ISBN: 0312997908, St. Martin's paperback, 352 pages, $6.99, March 2005.
We'll Always Have Parrots, ISBN: 0312939601, St. Martin's paperback, 352 pages, $6.99, February 2004.
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon, ISBN: 0312939590, St. Martin's paperback, 320 pages, $6.99, February 2003.
Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos, ISBN: 0312983190, St. Martin's paperback, 288 pages, $6.99, October 2001.
Murder with Puffins, ISBN: 0312939571, St. Martin's paperback, 320 pages, $6.99, May 2000.
Murder with Peacocks, ISBN: 0312970633, St. Martin's paperback, 311 pages, $6.99, January 1999.
Turing Hopper Mysteries:
Delete All Suspects, ISBN: 0425209028, Berkley paperback, 256 pages, $6.99, November 2005.
Access Denied, ISBN: 0425200650, Berkley paperback, 256 pages, $6.99, December 2004.
Click Here for Murder, ISBN: 0425195291, Berkley paperback, 304 pages, $6.50, May 2003.
You've Got Murder, ISBN: 0425189450, Berkley paperback, 304 pages, $6.99, April 2002.
ALLAN ANSORGE
Wisconsin
Allan Ansorge was born in Wisconsin and currently splits his time between there and Florida. He grew up in a small town where you didn't misbehave because everyone within ten miles would know about it in five minutes. It was a town where everyone under voting age knew anyone's mother could smack them if they chose to get out of line.
A four room schoolhouse didn't offer a large number of literary options but Crazy Quilt (a horse who slept in a bed covered with, you guessed it a QUILT!) and The Boxcar Children (orphan children raising themselves while they live in a... you fill in the blank!) introduced the non-academic mind to story telling.
One might think not seeing a real library until he was a freshman in high school might have stunted his appetite for reading, but in this case what had been withheld became a treasure. Picture if you will a teenage boy who actually read the articles in Playboy. The joy of the written word stayed with Allan through a career in business and brought him to authorship later in life. He says, "late is much better than never."
Crossing the Centerline, ISBN: 978-1590806357, Echelon Press trade paperback, 255 pages, $13.95, July 2009.
SANDI AULT
Colorado
Sandi Ault's first novel, Wild Indigo, won a special Edgar—the Mary Higgins Clark Award—the first time a debut novel had ever been nominated for the award. Wild Indigo was also nominated for Best First Mystery Novel by the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association. This exciting debut in the Wild Mystery Series made nine regional bestseller lists and received acclaim in reviews across the nation, including the New York Times.
Ault received two starred reviews each (Publishers Weekly and Library Journal) for Wild Indigo and Wild Inferno, the second in the series. Wild Inferno was named one of the Best Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, and it, too, met with critical acclaim from the national media, who compare Ault's work to that of Tony Hillerman, J.A. Jance, and Nevada Barr.
Sandi Ault currently lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where—in addition to writing novels—she has until recently served as a volunteer firefighter as well as a Fire Information Officer responding locally and nationally to wildfires. Ms. Ault teaches WILD Writing Workshops, and frequently appears as a speaker on the issues of wilderness, wolves, writing, and many aspects of Indian Country, among other topics. She has served as keynote speaker for the National Endowment for the Arts' Big Read Program.
Ault lives with her husband Tracy, her wolf Tiwa, and her Missouri wildcat, Buckskin. They travel extensively including annual field research on ruins, petroglyphs, native culture, and wilderness. Their photographs of ruins, petroglyphs and wolves have appeared in numerous publications.
Wild Penance, ISBN: 978-0425232323, Berkley Prime Crime hardcover, 304 pages, $24.95, February 2010.
Wild Sorrow, ISBN: 978-0425225837, Berkley Prime Crime hardcover, 304 pages, $24.95, March 2009.
Wild Inferno, ISBN: 978-0425226384, Berkley Prime Crime paperback, 304 pages, $6.99, February 2008.
Wild Indigo, ISBN: 978-0425219010, Berkley Prime Crime paperback, 304 pages, $6.99, January 2007.
FRANKIE Y. BAILEY
Albany, New York
"I don't remember when I didn't write," says criminal justice professor and author Frankie Y. Bailey. "I was a shy child, and it was one of those things that I could do alone. In my teens, I discovered mysteries and wrote my first fan letter to a writer—Richard Martin Stern—who thrilled me to my toes by writing back. I even persuaded my parents to sign me up for the Famous Writers course on short stories. I never finished the course, but I did read the books they sent me on writing. I even have my graded short stories stashed away somewhere."
Bailey attended Virginia Tech and then intended to be a veterinarian, but ended up with a double major in Psychology and English. While serving in the U.S. Army as a food inspector in Seattle, she began to write fiction again. Her third book completed was non-fiction, written after Frankie finished her dissertation in criminal justice at the University of Albany. The research for that book, Out of the Woodpile: Black Characters in Crime and Detective Fiction, led her to mystery workshops and conferences and she began to think again about writing mysteries. Frankie moved back to Albany, where she teaches, and joined a writing group. "That was when I began to make a serious effort to write a mystery that I hoped might eventually be published." The result is the Lizzie Stuart series.
Fiction:
You Should Have Died on Monday, ISBN: 1570723193, Overmountain Press paperback, 208 pages, $9.95, July 2007.
Old Murders, ISBN: 1570722188, Silver Dagger trade paperback, $13.95, 202 pages, March 2003.
A Dead Man's Honor, ISBN: 1570721718 Overmountain Press trade paperback, 218 pages, $13.95, June 2001.
Death's Favorite Child, ISBN: 1570721467, Overmountain Press trade paperback, 218 pages, $14.95, October 2000.
Non-fiction:
African-American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study, ISBN: 978-0786433391, McFarland hardcover, $35, November 2008.
Albany in Prohibition: Smuggling, Gambling & Gangsters, Frankie Y. Bailey and Alice P. Green, History Press, Fall/Winter 2008.
Famous American Crimes and Trials (editor), ISBN: 0275983338, Praeger Publishers hardcover, 1500 pages, $375, October 2004.
Blood on Her Hands: The Social Construction of Women, Sexuality and Murder, ISBN: 0534197759, Wadsworth Publishing paperback, 400 pages, $39.95, August 2004.
"Law Never Here": A Social History of African American Responses to Crime and Justice, ISBN: 0275953034, Praeger Publishers hardcover, 264 pages, April 1999.
Out of the Woodpile: Black Characters in Crime and Detective Fiction, ISBN: 0313266713, Greenwood Press hardcover, 208 pages, February 1991.
MICHAEL BLACK
Illinois
Michael A. Black graduated from Columbia College, Chicago in 2000 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction Writing. He previously earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Northern Illinois University. Despite his literary leanings, he has often said that police work has been his life. A former Army Military Policeman, he entered civilian law enforcement after his discharge, and for the past twenty-seven years has been a police officer in the south suburbs of Chicago.
The author of over forty articles on subjects ranging from police work to popular fiction, he has also had over thirty short stories published in various anthologies and magazines, including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. His first novel, A Killing Frost, featuring private investigator Ron Shade, was published by Five Star in September 2002, and was released in paperback by Leisure Books in 2007. The novel received endorsements from such respected authors as Sara Paretsky and Andrew Vachss, and universally excellent reviews.
Windy City Knights, the second novel in the Ron Shade series, came out in March of 2004. His third novel, The Heist, a stand-alone thriller set in Chicago, is Black's third novel. He has also written two nonfiction books, The M1A1 Abrams Tank and Volunteering to Help Kids, which were published by Rosen Press.
He has worked in various capacities in police work including patrol supervisor, tactical squad, investigations, raid team member, and SWAT team leader. He is currently a sergeant on the Matteson, Illinois Police Department. His hobbies include weightlifting, running, and the martial arts. He holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. It is rumored he has five cats.
Hostile Takeovers, ISBN: 0843962720, Leisure Books paperback, 353 pages, $7.99, August 2009.
Random Victim, ISBN: 978-0843959864, Leisure Books paperback, 384 pages, $7.99, April 2008.
A Killing Frost, ISBN: 978-0843959857, Leisure Books paperback, 317 pages, $7.99, October 2007.
Freeze Me Tender, ISBN: 978-1594144714, Five Star hardcover, 346 pages, $25.95, February 2006.
The Heist, ISBN: 978-1594142772, Five Star hardcover, 292 pages, $25.95, June 2005.
KARNA SMALL BODMAN
Florida
Karna Small Bodman began her career in San Francisco as a reporter for KRON-TV as Karna Small. She then anchored the news for KGO-TV and covered breaking news stories throughout the Bay Area. She moved to Washington, DC to anchor the ten o'clock news on Channel 5, host a nationally syndicated program and a three-hour news/talk radio show. When Ronald Reagan was elected President, he named Jim Brady as his Press Secretary with Karna as Jim's Deputy. She was immediately thrust into the tough task of explaining domestic policy initiatives to members of the national press corps. But there were benefits, including being involved with the most important issues of the time, almost daily meetings with the President and traveling on Air Force One. Later, Karna became a Senior Director and spokesman for the National Security Council. She attended arms control talks with the Soviets and traveled with the team that briefed the leaders of Great Britain, France and Italy as well as Pope John Paul II. When Karna left The White House to become Senior Vice President of a Public Affairs firm, she was the highest ranking woman on The White House staff. By now, she had written TV news scripts, briefing papers for the President, newspaper columns and magazine articles, but she had always wanted to write novels.
Final Finesse, ISBN: 978-0765322524, Forge hardcover, 336 pages, $26.95, May 2009.
Gambit, ISBN: 07654319289, Forge hardcover, 304 pages, $25.95, February 2008.
Checkmate, ISBN: 0765315424, Forge hardcover, 336 pages, $24.95, January 2007.
RHYS BOWEN
California
Rhys Bowen's mysteries have been nominated for every major mystery award, including the Edgar for best novel, and she has won seven of them. She writes three series: the Constable Evans mysteries, set in the mountains of Wales; the Molly Murphy Mysteries, set in turn-of-the-century New York; and the Royal Spyness series, about a minor royal in 1930s England. It has been described as "Bridget Jones meets Maisie Dobbs with a touch of royal flair."
Rhys was born in Bath, England, and educated at London University. Upon graduation she went to work for the BBC, specializing in drama and becoming a studio manager. She accepted an invitation to work for Australian Broadcasting in Sydney. While Down Under she met her future husband John. They married and settled in the San Francisco area and have lived there since, raising four children.
Her childhood memories of her Welsh relatives were the inspiration for her Constable Evans novels.The second book in the series, Evan Help Us, was called "a jewel of a story" by Publishers Weekly and nominated for a Barry Award. Evan's Gate received an Edgar Best Novel nomination. The books are published in several other languages, in large print, book club and in audio form.
Wanting to try her hand at something different and edgier, Rhys conceived Molly Murphy—brash, fearless Irishwoman who struggles to survive as an immigrant in New York City. The first book in this series, Murphy's Law, won three awards including the Agatha Award for Best Novel.
Rhys also enjoys writing short stories and has achieved much critical acclaim for them. Several of her stories have been Agatha and Anthony nominees. Doppelganger won the Anthony award and was included in the world's finest mystery and crime stories anthology.
The Last Illusion, ISBN: 978-0312385408, Minotaur Books hardcover, 288 pages, $24.99, March 2010.
CARL BROOKINS
Minnesota
Before he became a mystery writer and reviewer, Carl Brookins was a counselor and faculty member at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Brookins and his wife are avid recreational sailors.
He is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Private Eye Writers of America. He can frequently be found touring bookstores and libraries with his companions-in-crime, The Minnesota Crime Wave.
He writes the sailing adventure series featuring Michael Tanner and Mary Whitney. The third novel is Old Silver. His new private investigator series features Sean NMI Sean, a short P.I. The first is titled The Case of the Greedy Lawyers. Brookins received a liberal arts degree from the University of Minnesota and studied for a MA in Communications at Michigan State University.
The Case of the Deceiving Don, ISBN: 978-1594146770, Five Star hardcover, August 2008.
Bloody Halls, ISBN: 1590805701, Echelon Press Publishing paperback, 260 pages, $13.49, January 2008.
The Case of the Greedy Lawyers, ISBN: 1594143199, Five Star hardcover, 267 pages, $25.95, September 2005.
Old Silver, ISBN: 1929976324, Top Publications paperback, 259 pages, $14.95, February 2005.
A Superior Mystery, ISBN: 1929976171, Top Publications paperback, 302 pages, October 2002.
Inner Passages, ISBN: 1929976010, Top Publications paperback, 262 pages, $14.95, June 2000.
KATE CARLISLE
Venice Beach, CA
Kate Carlisle's debut novel, Homicide in Hardcover, the first book in the Bibliophile Mystery series, will be released by NAL in February 2009. A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. In Homicide in Hardcover, a priceless—and supposedly cursed—copy of Goethe's FAUST draws Brooklyn into a murder investigation that only she can solve—with the help of clues she uncovers within the valuable book. Kate spent twenty years in television production before turning to writing. She lives with her husband in Venice Beach, California, and online at katecarlisle.com.
If Books Could Kill, ISBN: 978-0451228918, Signet paperback, 304 pages, $6.99, February 2010.
Homicide in Hardcover, ISBN: 978-0451226150, Signet paperback, 304 pages, $6.99, February 2009.
NOLAN CARSON
Kansas
Dr. Nolan Carlson lived in Kansas all of his life except for two years in the military service. He was a teacher for 14 years and a school counselor for 10 years before he retired at the end of the 97-98 school year. He earned a PhD in Counseling from Kansas State University in 1997.
Carlson's wife is a retired math teacher and now volunteers her time at Community Health Ministry. Dr. Carlson also volunteers there often.
Dedicated to writing wholesome adventure for middle school young adults, Carlson has had 15 novels published. He started writing professionally 30 years ago and his books have been published by Berkley Publishing Group of New York. His books have been favorably reviewed by Book List in Chicago and Mailbox, a teacher's review. Summer & Shiner won the Hearth Award (the first annual author's book contest) in Kansas. Most recent books include: Summer & Shiner, Shiner's Return, Shiner & King, Shiner & Baseball, Shiner & Hobo Joe, Lewis & Clark & Davey Hutchins, The Lopsided Angel, Vagabond Jack (wolf-dog), and Lame Eagle and Wind Chaser.
Almost all of Dr. Carlson's books in the series are in the accelerated reading program. His books have been nominated to the William Allen White Book List and have been sold through Troll Book Club and Follett Library Resources. Throughout the last 16 years Dr. Carlson has visited over 200 schools, library associations, reading associations, and many town libraries. His books have been contracted by Vintage Publishing of South Carolina and will be reprinted with their label. The books are sold nationally and internationally.
Dr. Carlson and his wife live in Kansas and have 4 grown children and 5 grandchildren.
Summer & Shiner, ISBN: 978-0981989624, Vintage Romance Publishing-Vintage Expressions paperback, 160 pages, $7.99, September 2009.
JEFFREY COHEN
New Jersey
Jeffrey Cohen started out his writing career as a trade journalist, covering the consumer electronics business. Since 1985, he has been a freelance reporter and writer, writing for such publications as The New York Times, TV Guide, USA Weekend, Premiere, American Baby and The Newark Star-Ledger, among many others. He is also the author of more than 20 feature-length screenplays. His work has been developed by Jim Henson Productions, CBS, Gross-Weston Productions, Ken Walz Productions and others. Cohen lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children.
A Night at the Operation, ISBN: 978-0425228159, Berkley paperback, 304 pages, $7.99, April 2009.
It Happened One Knife, ISBN: 978-0425222560, Berkley paperback, 304 pages, $7.99, July 2008.
Some Like it Hot-Buttered, ISBN: 042521799X, Berkley paperback, 304 pages, $6.99, October 2007.
Guns A'Blazing, ISBN: 1931282803, AAPC trade paperback, 215 pages, $19.95, February 2006.
As Dog Is My Witness, ISBN: 1890862436, Bancroft Press trade paperback, 280 pages, $16.95, November 2005.
A Farewell to Legs, ISBN: 1890862290, Bancroft Press hardcover, 288 pages, $19.95, November 2003.
For Whom the Minivan Rolls, ISBN: 1890862185, Bancroft Press hardcover, 272 pages, $19.95, October 2002.
The Asperger Parent: How to Raise a Child with Asperger Syndrome and Maintain Your Sense of Humor, ISBN: 1931282145, Autism Asperger Publishing Co. paperback, 260 pages, $19.95, October 2002.
MEREDITH COLE
New York
Meredith Cole grew up outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. She is a
graduate of Smith College where she majored in Women's Studies and
minored in Film. She spent a semester as an undergraduate at New
York University's Tisch School of the Arts studying film, and then
wrote and directed the documentary "We Grew Up on a Commune" as her
Smith Scholar Project senior year. She went on to receive her
Master's degree from American University in Film and Video Production
where she was a Teaching Assistant and Master Scholar.
She wrote and directed the dramatic feature, "Floating", about a group of friends growing up and apart. It premiered at the New York Film and Video Festival in 1998, and received a Kodak Film grant. Her second feature, "Achilles' Love", was a romantic comedy shot on 35mm. It was released by Castle Hill in 2000 and was called "...a valentine to the warm ties of Pittsburgh's Greek Americans and to the bumpy road of love" by the New York Times.
Meredith's screenplays have placed in the finals the Chesterfield, as well as other competitions. She was named a Playwriting/Screenwriting fellow by the New York Foundation for the Arts in 2004.
She won the St. Martin's Press/Malice Domestic best traditional first mystery contest with her book Posed for Murder and it will be released in 2009. Her short story "Out in the Cold" was accepted into a Sisters in Crime anthology Murder in New York. She is a member of both Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and currently serves on the board of the local chapter.
Dead in the Water, ISBN: 978-0312625047, St. Martin's Press hardcover, 304 pages, $24.95, May 2010.
Posed for Murder, ISBN: 978-0312378561, St. Martin's Press hardcover, 256 pages, $24.95, February 2009.
BARBARA COLLEY
Louisiana
"So how did I get started writing?" Barbara Colley asks. "I was trying to be a good, conscientious mother. When my oldest daughter was a young teenager, Harlequin Presents began arriving through the mail. Without my knowledge, my daughter had subscribed, and I decided I should read a few to make sure they were suitable for someone her age. I deemed that they were suitable, but a funny thing happened. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. Then I came to a point when I began to believe that I could write 'one of those.'"
She did indeed, with the Charlotte LaRue series, now six books strong, and a number of romances from Harlequin. Colley also loves "meeting and talking to my readers at booksignings, I love shopping at the malls, and watching and playing tennis. Sailing is fun too, but it's not often I have the time or opportunity to do that any more. The most fun thing of all though, is playing with my sweet grandchildren. So far I have six: three boys and three girls, all ranging in ages from three to thirteen."
Dusted to Death, ISBN: 978-0758222534, Kensington hardcover, 256 pages, $22, December 2009.
Wash and Die, ISBN: 0758222513, Kensington hardcover, 256 pages, $22, February 2008.
Scrub a Dub Dead, ISBN: 0758207670, Kensington paperback, 256 pages, $6.99, January 2007.
Married to the Mop, ISBN: 0758207654, Kensington paperback, 288 pages, $6.99, January 2006.
Wiped Out, ISBN: 0758207638, Kensington paperback, 256 pages, $6.50, February 2005.
Polished Off, ISBN: 1575668785 Kensington, Paperback, 288 pages, February 2004.
Death Tidies Up, ISBN: 1575668769, Kensington paperback, 288 pages, $6.50, February 2003.
Maid for Murder, ISBN: 1575668742, Kensington paperback, 288 pages, $5.99, February 2002.
Women's Fiction:
Rachel's War, ISBN: 0373198566, Harlequin paperback, 448 pages, $5.99, January 2007.
JULIE COMPTONJulie Compton was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the setting for her first novel, Tell No Lies. After practicing with private firms early in her legal career, she most recently worked as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in Wilmington, Delaware, where she worked on some of the largest corporate bankruptcies in the nation. She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, with degrees in law and English literature.
Now at work on her second novel for Macmillan, Julie also writes short stories, poems, essays and blogs, and she is a columnist to Lake Mary Life Magazine. Although her legal background influenced her decision to portray the characters in Tell No Lies as lawyers, the heart of much of what she writes—including this novel—involves the everyday domestic dramas and relationships between people.
Though a lawyer by profession, Julie is currently a stay-at-home mom in Longwood, Florida, where she lives with her husband Rick, two daughters and a myriad of pets. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, running, music, and spending time at the beach. She volunteers her time both at her daughters' schools and as a guardian ad litem for abused and neglected children.
Rescuing Olivia, ISBN: 978-0312378769, St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover, 352 pages, $25.99, February 2010.
Tell No Lies, ISBN: 0312378750, St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover, 368 pages, $24.95, May 2008.
JOSHUA CORIN
Georgia
Joshua Corin grew up to a strapping 5'8"' in Rhode Island, a lovely state you've never been to and which is roughly the size of Yosemite National Park. He spent seven years at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and all he got to show for it was a Bachelor's degree, two Master's degrees, three consecutive assistantships, and mononucleosis.
Joshua went on to work on the Broadway revival of "The Rocky Horror Show" and then teach English at a yeshiva. He moved to Atlanta in 2004, where he currently is an instructor in English and theatre at the Newton Campus of Georgia Perimeter College.
He wrote the screenplay "Windfall," which won first place in the Open Door Contest co-sponsored by Dimension Films; the one-act play "Eventually," which was a finalist for the Heideman Award at the Humana Festival; the two-act comedy "Vagrants in Love," which has been performed in states as politically varied as Texas and Massachusetts; the three-act drama "Pop Apocalypse," which holds a special place in his heart; the two-act drama "Nightlight," which doesn't; the screenplay "Snowjob," which is circulating Hollywood; and Nuclear Winter Wonderland, which was published in October by Kunati.
Nuclear Winter Wonderland, ISBN: 1601641605, Kunati, Inc. trade paperback, 288 pages, $15.95, October 2008.
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JOSEPH DEMARCO
Pennsylvania
Born in South Philadelphia, Joseph R.G. DeMarco was raised in what was the center of Italian life in Philadelphia. His Italian ancestry plays an important role in his life and writing. Like him, his detective, Marco Fontana, is an Italian-American, marked by the steamy stew of Southern Italy. Fontana is also gay and often finds these aspects of his life on a collision course.
He was Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly Gayzette and founded the magazine New Gay Life and was a contributing editor for Il Don Gennaro, a national Italian-American magazine. His work has appeared in many publications around the country including The Advocate, The Philadelphia Gay News (PGN), The New York Native, Gaysweek, Gay Community News, and others. His article "Gay Racism" (Philadelphia Gay News 1983) won the Gay Press Association's award for Best Feature Article/Excellence in Feature Writing and has been anthologized in Black Men, White Men (Gay Sunshine, 1984), Men's Lives (Macmillan, 1989), We Are Everywhere (Routledge, 1997).
In 2004 he became the publisher of Mysterical-E, an online mystery magazine. In January 2006, DeMarco won the award for "Best Magazine Editor" in the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2005 and won again in 2008.
His anthologized stories include: "Enthralled" in Quickies (Arsenal Pulp Press, 1998), and "Adventurous Italian" in Men Seeking Men (Painted Leaf Press, 1998), "Arriverderci" in Quickies 2 (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2000), "Model Behavior" in Quickies 3 (2003), and "Great Uncle Ned" in Charmed Lives (Lethe Press, 2007). A few of his essays have been anthologized and include: "The Care and Feeding of a Friendship Network" in Gay Life (Doubleday, 1986), "Toccare Il Fondo" in Hey Paesan! (Guernica, 2000), and "The Little Emperor" in Paws and Reflect (Alyson, 2007).
DeMarco worked in theater and wrote a number of plays, some of which won awards and were produced in Philly, New York, and elsewhere. His play "Weight Room" won Philadelphia's Theater Center's one act play festival, and was produced in 1983. "You Betcha" won The Drama Festival competition at the Allentown Cultural Center, 1984 and was produced at Lansdowne Cultural Alliance, 1984. "Louie's Shadow" was also a winner of The Drama Festival competition at Allentown Cultural Center in 1985. "Pinto and Napoleon" (now "Second Sight") was produced at Studio R in New York (1983) and at Eastern Michigan University Theater Lab (1984).
DeMarco's greatest love is fiction and mysteries. His mystery series featuring P.I. Marco Fontana is a major project of his. The series opens with Murder on Camac, releasing in August 2009.
Murder on Camac, ISBN: 978-1590212134, Lethe Press trade paperback, 396 pages, $18, August 2009.
RANDY DENMON
Monroe, LA
When not writing, Randy Denmon is an engineer. His first novel, The Lawless Frontier, was a finalist for Western Writers of America Spur Award, The Ben Franklin Award, and the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Recently, The Lawless Frontier was optioned for film by a Hollywood production company, and Tom Berenger has agreed to play the lead role. Randy has a new book scheduled for publication this fall, The Savage Breed, a story of two Texas Rangers in the Mexican American War.
Randy currently lives in Monroe, LA. In his spare time, Randy cleans up around the house, engages in yard work, or runs a few errands!
The Savage Breed, ISBN: 978-0786018352, Pinnacle Western paperback, 304 pages, $5.99, September 2009.
The Lawless Frontier, ISBN: 978-0786018345, Pinnacle Western paperback, 304 pages, $5.99, September 2006.
JOHN DESJARLAIS
Illinois
A former producer with Wisconsin Public Radio, John Desjarlais teaches journalism and English at Kishwaukee College in northern Illinois. His first novel, The Throne of Tara (Crossway 1990), was a Christianity Today Readers Choice Award nominee, and his second historical novel, Relics (Thomas Nelson 1993, 2009) was a Doubleday Book Club Selection. Bleeder (Fiction Forge/Sophia Institute Press 2009) is his first mystery.
Desjarlais's work has appeared in periodicals such as Student Leadership Journal, U Magazine, The Critic, On Being, Student Soul, Apocalypse, The Upper Room, The New Pantagruel, The Karitos Review and The Rockford Review. He took Honorable Mention in the 1997 Writers Digest Competition (essay), 2nd Place in Fiction in the 2004 Phidian Art Society of Illinois Contest and 1st Place in 2006. He holds an MA in Media from Columbia University and an MA in Writing from Illinois State University.
He currently serves as Vice President of the Illinois Community College Journalism Association. A member of The Academy of American Poets and Mystery Writers of America, he is listed in Contemporary Authors, Who's Who in Entertainment, and Who's Who Among America's Teachers.
Bleeder, ISBN: 978-1933184562, Sophia Institute Press trade paperback, 257 pages, $12.95, August 2009.
![[photo]](images/ErnieDi.jpg)
ERNIE DISTEFANO
Delaware
In the spring of 1981, Ernie DiStefano was a professional pitching prospect of the Cincinnati Reds until an arm injury ended his dream of a professional baseball career. He is currently a professional sports agent, in association with Sports Management Worldwide, with his specialty being baseball players and coaches. He is also a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), and is nationally certified as a Sports Counselor through the National Institute of Sports Professionals (NISP). In 2001, Ernie founded Sports Counseling Services (SCS), an organization devoted to providing comprehensive counseling and coaching services to amateur and professional athletes, addressing all areas that affect an athlete's level of performance and potential. Ernie has also worked as an Associate Baseball Scout with the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, and is currently with the Global Scouting Bureau (GSB). He is the Founder/Coordinator of the Prison Athlete Assistance Program (PAAP) and the Operation Comeback Program (OCP), offering comprehensive counseling and assistance to amateur, professional, and prison athletes whose sports careers have been side-tracked by issues of crime, substance abuse, gambling, or mental illness. Ernie holds three college degrees, including a Master's Degree in Management. He has worked in the Criminal justice system for twenty-three years, during which he has counseled juvenile and adult offenders, including capital murder inmates. Ernie lives with his family in Delaware.
The Happy Athlete: A Success Guide for Parents, Coaches, and Student-Athletes, ISBN: 1880292785, Langmarc Publishing trade paperback, 160 pages, $15.95, June 2006.
JOSEPH EGER
Pompano Beach, FL
Maestro Joseph Eger is Music Director/Conductor of the Symphony for United Nations (SUN) in New York and Florida, and Guest Conductor for Life in Beijing, China. But he's also been associated with politics, science and philosophy for many years. Eger says he's now congratulated for the very thing that threatened his career in the 1950's—he was blacklisted during the McCarthy Era.
Now, his most radical theory is that "you and everything else in the universe are made of exactly the same stuff. That stuff, believe it or not, is music! The only difference between you, a hot dog, the chair in which you are sitting, a stone and the king of Saudi Arabia is the variation in the configuration of wave frequencies that make up people. Every bit of each of us is actually a song and we all make up a symphony."
Maestro Eger continues to work tirelessly to promote world peace and understanding through an appreciation for other cultures. SUN is deeply concerned with human rights and is active against war, poverty, and the deterioration of the environment.
Einstein's Violin: A Conductor's Notes on Music, Physics, and Social Change, ISBN: 1585423882, Tarcher Publications hardcover, 432 pages, $27.95, March 2005.
CARYN FITZGERALD
Texas
Caryn Gottlieb FitzGerald has been writing since childhood. She holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a certificate in Women's Studies from Florida Atlantic University in addition to a Masters degree in Professional Studies in Human Relations from NY Institute of Technology.
Caryn is a former LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and has worked within the criminal justice system with medium security inmates as well as in the community sector and with survivors of domestic violence. Today, she uses her skills to assist others as a life coach and sought after speaker who shares her story of surviving and thriving after living with eating disorders, abusive relationships, goal setting and achievement and using one's personal power to create change in the world around them.
Caryn also teaches online and in-person seminars on self-publishing and the use of online social networking sites to generate and connect with people worldwide. Caryn writes about inspirational topics on her blog, EmbracingMyJourney.com, and also contributes to the Communities at the Washington Times by writing a column entitled: Changing Your Life, Living Your Passion.
Her writing style varies as Caryn finds herself comfortable in writing both fiction and non-fiction genres. Caryn has been published in several arenas including psychological journals, newspapers, blogs, compilations, fiction and self-help books. Caryn resides in a small town south of Fort Worth, Texas with her family. She enjoys spending time outdoors and is actively involved with her daughter's school and in the local community.
Tulips in the Sand: A Riley Matthews Mystery, ISBN: 978-0615215006, Caryn FitzGerald paperback, 140 pages, $12.99, July 2008.
Fish Sticks, Books and Blue Jeans, ISBN: 978-0615179827, Caryn FitzGerald paperback, 48 pages, $12.95, November 2007.