Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival 2023 Program

Welcome to the 9th Annual Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival!

We are thrilled that you could join us for our annual book festival! We have been working diligently for a decade to curate a creative, inclusive, and inspiring atmosphere where avid readers and aspiring writers can mingle with best-selling authors. Whether your heart belongs to the cozy mystery genre, you prefer to be terrified, or you simply swoon at romance, there is something for everyone at the Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival! You may see familiar faces and hopefully, be introduced to authors you have never met before—authors whose books will soon reside on your bookshelves at home.

If you have joined us for previous festivals, you definitely noticed the change in venue. In the past, Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival was held at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, but the facility is currently undergoing a renovation. We are fortunate to have such a lovely alternative space here at the Suffolk Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront, overlooking the Nansemond River. The Suffolk Visitor Center is conveniently located across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn and is open daily, 9am until 5pm, should you need assistance.

You are invited to spend the day enjoying this fun, literary event, and we encourage you to return and explore Suffolk, dine at our award-winning independent eateries, visit a museum, take one of our 11 guided tours, stop by the Farmers’ Market, or discover a new boutique. If you are adventurous, Skydive Suffolk might be the place for you! However you spend your time in Suffolk, we are grateful for your support and love of books. Your continued enthusiasm is what keeps this festival going.

~ From Your Friends at Suffolk Tourism ~

11:30am-12:45pm

Speight Ballroom

1:00pm

Festival Opens

1-1:55pm

Cahoon Ballroom 2:00-6:00pm

Kilby/Meade Ballroom 2:00-2:55pm

Cahoon Ballroom

Chuckatuck Ballroom

3-3:55pm

Cahoon Ballroom

Chuckatuck Ballroom 4:00-4:55pm

Cahoon Ballroom

Chuckatuck Ballroom

5:00-5:55pm Cahoon Ballroom

Chuckatuck Ballroom

VIP Reception (Private)

Advance Tickets Required ($30)

Private Meet & Greet with Featured Authors, refreshments, souvenir ticket, and a festival bag full of goodies/books!

FESTIVAL OPENS

Opening Session:

Headliner Hank Phillippi Ryan interviewed by Featured Author Art Taylor

Featured Author Signings

Meet the authors and have your books signed! A limited number of books by each author will be available for purchase.

Moderated Panels

Making History: Writing Historical Period Mysteries

Taking Care of Business: Plucky Heroes Navigating Everyday Life

Moderated Panels

Savory Sleuths: Food and Mysteries

Ripped From The Headlines: Crafting Contemporary Crime Fiction

Moderated Panels

Make It Snappy: Creating Inventive Short Fiction

Off The Beaten Path: Mysteries In Unique Settings

Moderated Panels

Book ‘Em: Literary-Lovin’ Gumshoes

Women To Watch: Writing Strong Female Protagonists

FESTIVAL CLOSES

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN

Hank Phillippi Ryan is the USAToday bestselling author of 14 psychological thrillers, winning the most prestigious awards in the genre: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also the on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, with 37 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors. National book critics call her “a superb and gifted storyteller”; she’s the only author to win the Agatha in four different categories: Best First, Best Novel, Best Short Story, and Best Non-Fiction. Her newest is the page-turning standalone thriller The House Guest, a story of psychological manipulation that explores the dark heart of marriage and friendship—it’s Gaslight meets Thelma and Louise. Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline says, “Ryan is one of my favorite authors and The House Guest shows why.” EMMY-winning host Tamron Hall says, “The House Guest kept me on the edge of my seat...” The Publishers Weekly rave review says, “Ryan is a master of suspense!” and the Library Journal starred review calls it “Bingeworthy.”

Hank is a founder of MWA University, host of CRIME TIME on A Mighty Blaze, and co-host of First Chapter Fun and The Back Room. She is a past president of National Sisters in Crime. Visit her website at www.HankPhillippiRyan.com.

OBELIA AKANKE

Obelia Akanke writes contemporary women’s fiction and spoken word poetry. Her heart for her community is often shared through these works, most of which have a lesson. Topics range from the funny to the serious, including subjects such as youth mental health. She hopes that her words will entertain as well as increase the reader’s compassion and understanding for others adjusting to various life situations. Visit her website at www.WriteHeartPublishing.com

GABBY ALLAN

After writing plays for her friends to act out as a kid, bad poetry in high school, and her high school Alma Mater song, Gabby Allan (also known as Misty Simon) finally found her true passion—cozy mysteries. Being able to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time, and touch people’s hearts with her down-to-earth characters makes for the best job ever. This California girl now lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania, where she is hard at work on her next novel. Visit her website at www.MistySimon.com

Also Writing as Misty Simon

Born in Washington, D.C., Betsy Ashton claims she was raised in Southern California, where she ran wild with coyotes in the hills above Malibu, even though her mother challenged her memory. She writes in multiple genres: mysteries, including the Mad Max Mystery series (Unintended Consequences, Uncharted Territory, and Unsafe Haven); serial killer psychological suspense (Eyes Without A Face); and literary or women’s fiction (Out of the Desert, the closest thing to a memoir she’ll write). Her latest is a suspense novel, Betrayal, published in 2021. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in several anthologies including Murder By the Glass, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Candles of Hope, and Reflections on Smith Mountain Lake. She is the past president of the commonwealth-wide Virginia Writers Club and remains active in the literary communities in Roanoke and at Smith Mountain Lake. Visit her website at www.Betsy-Ashton.com

BETSY ASHTON PAUL AWAD

Paul Awad is a filmmaker and fiction writer. His debut novel is the science fiction thriller When Earth Shall Be No More (co-written with his wife, Featured Author Kathryn O’Sullivan). Recent film work includes the crime drama, A Savage Nature (distributed by Gravitas Ventures). The film was set and filmed in Virginia and has won several Best Feature festival awards and the Hollywood Screenplay Contest’s Grand Prize Thriller Award. His film, Bicentennial Bonsai: Emissaries of Peace, won the Utopian Vision Award (2021 Utopia Film Festival) and Best Documentary Short (2022 Arlington International Film Festival). Paul’s directing/cinematography work has won recognition from the Telly Awards, International Academy of Web Television, ADDY Awards, The Kodak Company, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Visit his website to find out more about his work at www.Paul-Awad.com

Anthony Award-nominated E.A. Aymar’s most recent thriller, No Home for Killers, received praise from The New York Times, Kirkus Reviews, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and was an instant Amazon Bestseller. His previous thriller, They’re Gone, was published to rave reviews in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews (starred), and named one of the best books of 2020 by South Florida Sun Sentinel. He is a former member of the national board of the International Thriller Writers and is an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Sisters in Crime. He runs the DC Noir at the Bar series, was born in Panama, and now lives and writes in, and generally about, the DC/MD/VA triangle. Visit his website at www.EAymar.com.

CATHERINE BRUNS

Catherine Bruns is the USAToday bestselling author of the Cookies & Chance, Italian Chef, Cindy York, and Maple Syrup Mysteries. She lives in New York with her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a B.A. in English and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. Her book, For Sale by Killer, won the 2019 Daphne du Maurier award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense. Catherine has written over 25 mystery novels and has many more stories waiting to be told. Visit her website at www.CatherineBruns.net.

THOMAS A. BURNS, JR.

Also Writing as Silas K. Henderson

Thomas A. Burns, Jr. writes the Natalie McMasters Mysteries from the small town of Wendell, North Carolina, where he lives with his wife and son, four cats, and a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. He was born and grew up in New Jersey and earned B.S. degrees in Zoology and Microbiology at Michigan State University and a M.S. in Microbiology at North Carolina State University. He’s written fiction as a hobby all of his life, beginning with the Man from U.N.C.L.E. stories in marble-backed copybooks in grade school. He went on to build a career as technical, science and medical writer, and editor for nearly 30 years in industry and government.

Now that he’s a full-time novelist, Tom is excited to publish his own mystery series, as well as writing stories about his second most favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes. His Holmes story, “The Camberwell Poisoner,” appeared in the March-June issue of The Strand Magazine in 2021. The sixth book in the Natalie McMasters Mysteries, Killers!, won the Silver Falchion award for best action/adventure book of 2021 at the Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference. Tom has also written a Lovecraftian horror novel, The Legacy of the Unborn, under the pen name of Silas K. Henderson, a sequel to H.P. Lovecraft’s masterpiece, At The Mountains of Madness Visit his website at www.3MDetectiveAgency.com

ELLEN BUTLER

Ellen Butler is the internationally bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill and at a medical association in Washington, D.C., inspired the mystery-action series. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries, “intelligent escapism” and “unputdownable adventures that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.” Ellen is also the author of the awardwinning historical suspense novel, The Brass Compass, which has won multiple awards for historical fiction, including: 2022 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award, 2018 IndieReader Discovery Award, and the 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner. Ellen initially started writing in the romance genre and won the The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award 2015 with her novel, Planning for Love. Her 12th book, Operation Blackbird: A Cold War Spy Novel, hit bookstores in fall 2022. Butler is a member of Virginia Writers Club, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the 2022 Speaker Coordinator for the Chessie Chapter of SinC. She is a hybrid author— both traditionally and indie published—and regularly attends conferences to share her writing and publishing experiences through workshops, presentations, and panel sessions. Visit her website at www.EllenButler.net.

Lynn Cahoon, author of Secrets In The Stacks (a Survivors’ Book Club mystery), is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the best-selling Tourist Trap, Kitchen Witch, Cat Latimer, Farm-to-Fork, and Survivors’ Book Club mystery series. No matter where the mystery is set, readers can expect a fun ride. Visit her website at www.LynnCahoon.com

AUSTIN CAMACHO

Austin S. Camacho is the author of seven novels about Washington, D.C.-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five in the Stark and O’Brien international adventure-thriller series, and the detective novel, Beyond Blue. His short stories have been featured in several anthologies including Dying in a Winter Wonderland, an Independent Mystery Booksellers Association Top Ten Bestseller for 2008. He is featured in the Edgar-nominated African American Mystery Writers:AHistorical andThematic Study, by Frankie Y. Bailey (a SMAF Featured Author in 2016). Austin is also Editorial Director for Intrigue Publishing, a Maryland small press. Visit his website at www.ASCamacho.com

Maya (Mary Ann) Corrigan writes the Five-Ingredient Mysteries, featuring a café manager and her livewire grandfather, the Codger Cook, solving murders in a Chesapeake Bay town. Each book has five suspects, five clues, and Granddad’s five-ingredient recipes. Her latest book, Bake Offed, the eighth book in the series, takes place at a weekend mystery fest, where fans of murder mysteries must solve a real murder. Her seventh book, Gingerdead Man, is “a spirited holiday cozy” (Kirkus Reviews) set during a Dickens festival. Maya is the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award and the New England Readers’ Award for unpublished Mystery and Suspense. She taught writing, American literature, and detective fiction at Georgetown University and Northern Virginia Community College. Visit Maya’s website at www.MayaCorrigan.com for book news, easy recipes, and mystery history and trivia.

JOHN DEDAKIS

Award-winning novelist, writing coach, and manuscript editor John DeDakis is a former editor on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” DeDakis is also the author of five mystery-suspense-thriller novels. In his most recent novel, Fake, protagonist Lark Chadwick is a White House correspondent dealing with “fake news” in the era of #MeToo. John regularly leads writing workshops at literary centers, writers’ conferences, and bookstores. He is also the host of the video podcast One-to-One with John DeDakis on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin, John now lives with his wife Cindy in Baltimore. Visit his website at www.JohnDeDakis.com

DIANE FANNING

Diane Fanning is the Edgar-finalist, best-selling author of 15 true crime books and 11 mystery novels, and a recipient of the Defender of Innocence award from the Innocence Project. She has served as a consultant to 48 Hours, appeared on 14 seasons of Deadly Women, The Today Show, 20/20, Forensic Files, Snapped, the Biography Channel, and Investigation Discovery, as well as programs in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Diane has lived in Baltimore and Texas and now lives in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Bedford, Virginia. Visit her website at www.DianeFanning.com

VICTORIA GILBERT

Raised in a historic small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, Victoria Gilbert turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian. She writes two ongoing cozy mystery series for Crooked Lane Books: the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, set in a fictional small town in the mountains of Virginia, and the Booklover’s B&B series, set in the historic coastal town of Beaufort, North Carolina. She also has a new traditional mystery series forthcoming from Crooked Lane Books: the Hunter & Clewe mystery series, the first book of which, A Cryptic Clue, will be published in July 2023.

A member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, Victoria is represented by Frances Black at The Literary Counsel, in New York. She currently lives outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats. Visit her website at www.VictoriaGilbertMysteries.com

JOHN GILSTRAP

John Gilstrap is the New York Times bestselling author of award-winning action novels, including the Jonathan Grave Thrillers and the Victoria Emerson Thrillers. A master of action-driven suspense, he’s touted as one of the most accomplished writers on the planet, and his books have been translated into more than 20 languages. He is the recipient of an International Thriller Writers Award for Against All Enemies and a two-time ITW Award finalist. He also won the ALA Alex Award for Nathan’s Run, which was optioned for film by Warner Bros. The third of his acclaimed Victoria Emerson thrillers, White Smoke, released in February 2023.

A nationally-recognized weaponry and explosives safety expert, John frequently speaks at conferences, events, clubs, youth programs, and military bases. He is a former firefighter and EMT with a Master’s degree in safety from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s degree in history from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Visit his website at www.JohnGilstrap.com.

MARNI GRAFF

Marni Graff is the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney English Mysteries, featuring an American writer living in England who has a nose for murder; with five in print, the fifth, The Evening’s Amethyst, is the newest.

Marni also writes The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries, focusing on a nurse who is a medical consultant for a New York movie studio; it’s based on Marni’s real-life position and the series her mentor, PD James, advised her to write. She is currently writing the third, Death In The Orchard. Both series are a mix of amateur sleuth and police procedural.

Marni’s short story, “Quiche Alain,” is part of the Anthony-award winning anthology from Malice Domestic, Murder Most Edible. She is also co-author of Writing in a Changing World and Managing Editor for Bridle Path Press, a curated indie press. She is a member of Sisters in Crime National, Mavens of Mayhem SinC (NY), Triangle SinC (NC), the NC Writer’s Network, and the International Association of Crime Writers. This year, she was judge for the IACW’s Dashiell Hammett Award. Marni has published creative non-fiction and essays, and wrote for Mystery Review Magazine for seven years. Visit her online at www.AutieMWrites.com

BRADLEY HARPER

Bradley Harper is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and pathologist who has performed over 200 autopsies and some 20 forensic death investigations. A life-long fan of Sherlock Holmes, his debut novel, A Knife in the Fog, involved a young Dr. Conan Doyle in the hunt for Jack the Ripper. It was a finalist for a 2019 Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel by an American and is a Recommended Read by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate. Knife went on to win Killer Nashville’s 2019 Silver Falchion Award as Best Mystery. The audiobook, narrated by former Royal Shakespearean actor Matthew Lloyd Davies, won Audiofile Magazine’s 2019 Earphone Award for Best Mystery and Suspense. His second novel, Queen’s Gambit, involving a fictional assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, won Killer Nashville’s 2020 Silver Falchion Award both for Best Suspense and Book of the Year.

Dr. Harper earned an Associate Degree in Creative Writing in 2018 at Full Sail University and in August of 2022 completed a M.A. in Creative Writing at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has been published in The Strand Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, and The Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine. A personal essay on his experience as a professional Santa Claus was published in the 2021 Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Blessings of Christmas Dr. Harper is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Authors Guild, The Virginia Writer’s Club, and Sisters in Crime. He has been married for 49 years to a cute little girl he met in the ninth grade. They have two daughters and two grandchildren, all prodigies. Visit his website at www.BHarperAuthor.com.

REBECCA HEMLOCK

Rebecca Hemlock is an award-winning author and has written articles, books, and short stories for many years; she has also worked as a freelance journalist for four years. Her books have also made it to the Amazon.com #1 bestseller list several times.

Rebecca earned a degree in English and an Appalachian Studies certificate in Creative Writing. Her favorite times to write are early in the morning when the sun is coming up and at sunset. She is currently a member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives in Eastern Kentucky with her husband and children. Visit her website at www.RebeccaHemlock.com

JEFFREY JAMES HIGGINS

Jeffrey James Higgins is a retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, scripts, creative nonfiction, and essays. He has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor.

Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, Fox News, National Geographic, and The New York Times. He is a #1 Amazon bestselling author and has won 18 literary awards, including the Claymore Award, PenCraft’s Best Fiction Book of 2022, and a Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal. He has been a panelist at ThrillerFest, Killer Nashville, and Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity. Black Rose Writing published his first two novels, Furious and Unseen, in 2021. Visit his website at JeffreyJamesHiggins.com

EDWIN HILL

Edwin Hill’s critically-acclaimed crime novels include the standalone thriller, The Secrets We Share, and three novels featuring Hester Thursby. He has been nominated for Edgar and Agatha Awards, featured in Us Magazine, received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal, and was recognized as one of “Six Crime Writers to Watch” in Mystery Scene Magazine

Edwin lives in Roslindale, Massachusetts, with his partner Michael and his favorite reviewer, their lab Edith Ann, who likes his first drafts enough to eat them. Visit his website at www.Edwin-Hill.com

Tim Holland is the author of the Sidney Lake Mystery Novels. The fourth in the series, Deception, was released in June 2022. He is a director of the Williamsburg Book Festival, a member of Mystery Writers of America, and The Brönte Society of Haworth, England, as well as The Virginia Writers Club and Chesapeake Bay Writers. He received a Keating award for his fiction. During the past year, he incorporated his writers critique group, The Silver Quill Writers, and the six members regularly appear at fairs and art festivals.

Over the years, Tim’s freelance articles have appeared in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, as well as having written book reviews and literary criticism for Recorder Publishing’s eight newspapers in New Jersey (while working in New York in the world of global trade finance). He has given speeches and presentations in 12 countries and 22 states, and served as president of the lifelong learning program at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, where he also taught a course on the Brönte sisters. Visit him at www.Tim-Holland.com.

TERESA INGE

Teresa Inge is an author in the Mutt Mysteries Series (To Fetch A Thief, To Fetch a Scoundrel, To Fetch a Villain, and To Fetch a Killer), Virginia is for Mysteries Series (volumes I, II, and III), 50 Shades of Cabernet, Coastal Crimes: Mysteries by the Sea, and Murder by the Glass. She is president of the Sisters in Crime, Mystery by the Sea chapter, a member of the Central Virginia chapter, Chessie chapter, Guppies chapter, Hampton Roads Writers, and Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Teresa grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Combining her love of reading mysteries and writing professional articles led to writing short fiction, novellas, and novels. A gearhead, Teresa attends classic car shows showing her Torch Red, 1955 Thunderbird. She resides in Southeastern Virginia with her husband and two dogs. Visit her website at www.TeresaInge.com

In January 2022, Thomas Kies was Edgar Award-nominated by the Mystery Writers of America specifically for the Sue Grafton Memorial Award for his book, Shadow Hill, his fourth novel in the Geneva Chase Mystery Series. His first book, Random Road, was given a starred review and was debut of the month in the Library Journal and named debut of the month. It sold out of its first hard copy printing before its launch date. Publishers Weekly said of his second thriller, Darkness Lane, “Kies neatly balances breathless action with Geneva Chase’s introspection and sleuthing savvy.” Graveyard Bay garnered this review in the New York Journal of Books: “When it comes to gritty, real-life plots, believable characters, and on-point descriptions of both people and place, Thomas Kies can’t be beat.” Whisper Room, the fifth book in the series, was released in August. Publishers Weekly said, “Readers will hope to see a lot more of the down-to-earth Geneva—Sara Paretsky fans will find much to like.”

Tom lives and works on Bogue Banks Island with his wife wife, Cindy, and has a long history of working with newspapers and magazines, primarily in New York and New England. Visit his website at www.ThomasKiesAuthor.com

THOMAS KIES DANA KING

Dana King writes the Penns River series of police procedural novels; White Out, book seven, is the most recent. He also writes the Nick Forte private investigator novels, two of which (A Small Sacrifice and The Man In The Window) earned Shamus Award nominations from the Private Eye Writers of America. His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and websites, and he is a frequent panelist and moderator at conferences. Visit his website at www.DanaKingAuthor.com.

Tara Laskowski’s debut suspense novel One Night Gone won the Agatha Award, Macavity Award, and the Anthony Award, and was a finalist for the Lefty, the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark, the Strand Critics, and the Library of Virginia literary awards. Her second novel, The Mother Next Door, was a finalist for the Anthony Award and the Library of Virginia’s People’s Choice Award.

Tara has also written two short story collections, Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons and Bystanders. Her Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine story, “The Case of the Vanishing Professor,” won the 2019 Agatha Award and her Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine story, “The Long-Term Tenant,” won the 2020 Thriller Award. She was the winner of the 2010 Santa Fe Writer Project’s Literary Awards Prize, was the longtime editor of the popular online flash fiction journal SmokeLong Quarterly, and is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime, where she serves on the board of her local chapter.

Tara earned a B.A. in English with a minor in writing from Susquehanna University and an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University. She grew up in Pennsylvania and lives in Virginia. Visit her website at www.TaraLaskowski.com.

JACKIE LAYTON

Former Kentuckian Jackie Layton loves her new life in the Low Country. Jackie enjoys time on the beach, despite one trip that ended with cracked ribs from riding her boogie board with the kids...and another trip that ended up with a hook in her foot and a trip to the emergency room. There’s nothing like a trip to the beach, although she tends to be a bit more cautious these days. Jackie is the author of A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series, and has contracts for two new series—one set in Texas and the other set on the coast of Georgia. Visit her website at JackieLaytonCozyAuthor.com

CON LEHANE

Con Lehane is the author of the 42nd Street Library mystery novels. The fourth in the series, Murder By Definition, hit bookstores and libraries in December 2022. He’s also published stories in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and the Bartender Brian McNulty mystery novels.

Con holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in fiction writing from Columbia University School of the Arts and teaches fiction writing and mystery and suspense writing at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. A former community college professor, union organizer, labor journalist, and bartender, he is the father of two grown sons and lives in Washington, D.C. Visit his website at www.ConLehane.com.

ALLIE MARIE

From her childhood days of reading teenage sleuth mysteries to a distinguished career as a real police officer, award-winning author Allie Marie has been surrounded by the aura of mysteries her whole life. After retirement, she realized her lifelong dream of writing her own mysteries. She veered from the path of suspense and crime novels to a different kind of sleuthing: genealogy.

Discovering colonial ancestries in her family tree, Allie was inspired to write The True Colors Series, a paranormal mystery series with modern local settings and colonial history that has garnered multiple awards. The series has inspired a standalone inspired by the true story of German boats interned in Portsmouth, Virginia, before WWI that introduces her time-traveling character in the spin off True Spirits Trilogy. Allie has short stories in several anthologies, including the best-selling Feisty Heroines Collection. She has presented a writer’s course at a number of venues across the U.S. and Europe, and is a member of national and international writers’ groups.

Allie’s family is her heart, but travel and camping with her husband Jack are a passion she enjoys when she’s not writing. Visit her on Facebook @AuthorAllieMarie!

KAREN MCCULLOUGH

Karen McCullough sold her first novel, a romantic mystery, to Avalon Books in 1989. Since then, she has had almost two dozen novels and novellas published in the mystery, romance, suspense, and fantasy genres. Publishers include Avalon Books, Kensington, Five Star/Gale Group, Worldwide Mystery Library, and ImaJinn Books, a division of Belle Bridge Books. Her short fiction has appeared in a wide variety of periodicals and anthologies.

A member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Piedmont Authors Network, Karen is also a past president of the Southeast chapter of Mystery Writers of America and served on the MWA national board. She has won numerous awards, including an Epic Ebook Award for fantasy, and has also been a finalist in the Daphne, Prism, Dream Real, Rising Star, Lories, and Vixen Award contests. Karen lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with her husband of many years. Visit her website at www.KMcCullough.com

MARY MILEY

Mary Miley, historian and author of eight mysteries set in the Roaring Twenties, began her fiction career with The Impersonator, winning the Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel national award. A graduate of William and Mary, she worked at Colonial Williamsburg and taught history at Virginia Commonwealth University for many years. For getaways, Mary retreats to her Virginia winery where everything she does would have been illegal during the Prohibition era. Visit her website at www.MaryMileyTheobald.com

Julie Moffett is the bestselling author of the long-running, geeky Lexi Carmichael Mystery Series that USA Today says “...runs a riveting gamut from hilarious to deadly, and the perfectly paced action in between will have you hanging on to Lexi’s every word and breathless for her next geeked-out adventure.” Julie also writes the young adult White Knights spin-off series featuring a cool, teenage hacker girl. Julie’s been publishing books for 25 years, but writing for a lot longer. She writes in the genres of mystery, young adult, historical romance, and paranormal romance.

Julie has won numerous awards, including the Mystery & Mayhem Award for Best YA/New Adult Mystery, the HOLT Award for Best Novel with Romantic Elements, a HOLT Merit Award for Best Novel by a Virginia Author (twice!), the Award of Excellence, a PRISM Award for Best Romantic Time-Travel, AND Best of the Best Paranormal Books, and an EPIC Award for Best Action/Adventure Novel. She has also garnered additional nominations for the Booksellers’ Best Award, Daphne du Maurier Award, the Dante Rossetti Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.Visit her website at www.JulieMoffett.com.

K. L. MURPHY

K.L. Murphy is the author of the Detective Cancini Mystery Series, including A Guilty Mind, Stay of Execution, and The Last Sin, as well as her latest suspense, Her Sister’s Death (December 2022). Her short stories are featured in Deadly Southern Charm and Murder by the Glass. A member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and James River Writers, Kellie makes her home in Richmond, VA. When she’s not writing, she loves to vacation at the beach, read, entertain friends, walk her amazing dogs, and catch up on everything else she ignored. Visit her website at www.KellieLarsenMurphy.com.

STACIE MURPHY

Stacie Murphy began writing her first novel, A Deadly Fortune, as a way to force herself to stay off Twitter in the evenings. It was published by Pegasus Crime in January 2021. Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, called it a “sterling debut” and predicted that readers would be eager for a sequel. The Unquiet Dead was released in April 2022 to similar acclaim. Publishers Weekly called it a “stellar sequel” and Murphy a “historical writer to watch.”

Murphy grew up outside Nashville, Tennessee, and now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and two cats. She is working on her third novel and still spends way too much time on Twitter. Visit her website at www.StacieMurphy.com.

R. A. MUTH

Also Writing as Becky Muth

R. A. Muth (also known as Becky Muth) is a coffee addict who entertains readers with quirky characters who solve not-too-scary murders in places she’d like to live in real life. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time at the beach with her family and binge-watching Netflix with her golden retriever. Visit her website at www.BeckyMuth.com

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, crafts, antiquing, and the occasional spa day with friends. Nancy has had several of her novels made into movies by Crown Media for Hallmark networks; most recently, her ECPA Bestselling Novel, The Shell Collector, became the first Fox Original Movie and is now streaming on FOX Nation.

A native of Virginia Beach, Nancy currently calls the Blue Ridge Mountains home. Visit her website at www.NancyNaigle.com

NAN O’BERRY

Growing up in a storytellers environment, it’s not surprising that Nan O’Berry loves a good tale. Helping hero and heroine find love is always the greatest adventure. With a trustworthy notebook at hand, she’s armed for adventure and romance. Check out Nan’s homespun charm and bigger-than-life heroes. She is now a USA Today Bestseller for her story in the anthology, A Place to Belong! Visit her website at oberrynan.wixsite.com/nanoberryauthor.

KATHRYN O’SULLIVAN

Kathryn O’Sullivan is a mystery writer, playwright, and screenwriter. Her latest novel, When Earth Shall Be No More, is a science fiction thriller co-written with her husband, Paul Awad (also a Featured Author). She is a winner of the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition and author of the Colleen McCabe mystery series (Foal Play, Murder On The Hoof, and Neighing with Fire). Her short stories are published in the 2021 Anthony Award-nominated anthology, The Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction Inspired By The Songs of Joni Mitchell and Charlaine Harris Presents Malice Domestic 12: Mystery Most Historical. Her plays have been published in several ten-minute play anthologies. Her latest films are the documentary, Bicentennial Bonsai: Emissaries of Peace (winner, Utopian Vision Award, 2021 Utopia Film Festival; winner, Best Documentary Short, 2022 Arlington International Film Festival), and the crime drama, A Savage Nature. Visit her website at www.KathrynOSullivan.com

JOSH PACHTER

Josh Pachter was the 2020 recipient of the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s Golden Derringer Award for Lifetime Achievement. His stories appear in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and elsewhere. He edits anthologies (including the Anthony Award finalist The Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Joni Mitchell) and translates fiction and nonfiction from multiple languages, mainly Dutch, into English. Visit his website at www.JoshPachter.com.

MINDY QUIGLEY

Mindy Quigley is the author of two cozy mystery series: the Deep Dish Mysteries and the Mount Moriah Mysteries. Her short stories have won awards, including the 2018 Artemis Journal/Lightbringer Prize. Her nonwriting career has been stranger than fiction, taking her from the U.S. to the U.K., where she worked as the personal assistant to the scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep and as project manager for a research clinic founded by the author J.K. Rowling.

Mindy lives in Virginia, with her Civil War history professor husband, their children, and their idiosyncratic miniature Schnauzer. Visit her website at www.MindyQuigley.com.

AMY M. READE

Amy M. Reade is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of cozy, historical, and Gothic mysteries. A former practicing attorney, she discovered a passion for fiction writing and has never looked back. Amy has so far penned three standalone Gothic mysteries, the Malice series of Gothic novels, the Juniper Junction Holiday Cozy Mystery series, the Libraries of the World Mystery Series, and the Cape May Historical Mystery Collection. In addition to writing, she loves to read, cook, and travel. Amy lives in New Jersey and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Visit her website at at www.AmyMReade.com

SHAWN REILLY SIMMONS

Shawn Reilly Simmons is an Agatha and Anthony Award-winning author and editor. She’s written seven novels in her Red Carpet Catering mystery series and over 20 of her short stories have appeared in various crime fiction anthologies. Shawn hosts a podcast, Five Compelling Questions with Shawn, where she chats with authors about the writing life and creative pursuits. She’s a member of RVA City Writers, a group based in Richmond, Virginia, who host Noir at the Bar Events at different venues throughout the year.

Shawn serves on the Board of Malice Domestic and is Managing Editor at Level Best Books, and is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the Crime Writers’ Association, and International Thriller Writers. She lives in historic downtown Frederick, Maryland. Visit her website at www.ShawnReillySimmons.com.

KATHARINE SCHELLMAN

Katharine Schellman writes historical mysteries filled with intricate plots and smart, gutsy sleuths. Her newest series, set in Jazz Age NYC, launched in 2022 with Last Call at the Nightingale, a gritty, glamorous mystery that was a New York Times editors’ pick for June and named one of the best mysteries of the summer by Publisher’s Weekly, Goodreads, Bustle, and more. Visit her website at www.KatharineSchellman.com

Hunter J. Skye was born with a rare and terrifying sleep disorder and raised in a haunted Victorian home. Those two factors predestined her to write paranormal-horror romance. She has two novels traditionally published by The Wild Rose Press: the first novel, A Glimmer of Ghosts, received five literary awards and a glowing Kirkus review. Her second novel, A Shimmer of Shadows, is nominated for the Library of Virginia’s 2022 Literary Award.

Hunter is currently a semi-finalist of America’s Next Great Author reality TV show and is honored to have been a part of the filming of the pilot episode. She started her writing career as a poet; her gritty humor and lush lyrical style come together to form her offbeat voice. She loves any opportunity to speak about the horror or paranormal genres. Visit her website at www.HunterSkye.com

ROSALIE SPIELMAN

Rosalie Spielman is a mother, veteran, and spouse of a recently retired career officer. After meeting her husband when they were both young Army Lieutenants, they moved 11 times in 24 years, blessing multiple states and three countries with their presence. Their next challenge is to beat Rosalie’s lifetime record of “six years in the same house.” After discovering that she could, in fact, make other people laugh with her writing, she began writing in earnest. She finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. Her cozy mystery novels are set in locales that have chickens, such as rural Idaho and sunny Kauai.

Rosalie writes for the multi-author Aloha Lagoon series, as well as her own series (Hometown Mysteries) and has written short stories for anthologies. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime (both national and the local Chesapeake chapter) and is represented by Dawn Dowdle of the Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Visit her website at www.Rosalie-Spielman-Author.com.

ART TAYLOR

Art Taylor is the author of two collections—The Adventure of the Castle Thief and Other Expeditions and Indiscretions and The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74 and Other Tales of Suspense—and of the novel in stories On the Road with Del & Louise, winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. He won the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Short Story for “English 398: Fiction Workshop,” originally published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and he has won three additional Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award, four Macavity Awards, and four Derringer Awards for his short fiction. Art’s work has also appeared in Best American Mystery Stories, and he edited Murder Under the Oaks: Bouchercon Anthology 2015, winner of the Anthony Award for Best Anthology or Collection, and California Schemin’: Bouchercon Anthology 2020. Art is an associate professor of English at George Mason University. Visit his website at www.ArtTaylorWriter.com.

GRACE TOPPING

Grace Topping is a USAToday bestselling author and Agatha Award Finalist. A recovering technical writer and IT project manager, she was accustomed to writing lean, boring documents. Let loose to write fiction, she is now creating murder mysteries and killing off characters who remind her of some of the people she dealt with during her career. Fictional revenge is sweet. She is the author of the Laura Bishop Mystery series.

Grace is the former vice president of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime (SinC), a steering committee member of the SinC Guppies, and a member of Mystery Writers of America. She lives with her husband in Northern Virginia. Visit her website at www.GraceTopping.com

CHRISTINE TRENT

Christine Trent is the author of the Lady of Ashes historical mystery series and several other historical novels. Her most recent book, The Deadly Hours, is a four-part historical mystery novel written with Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, and Anna Lee Huber. She is currently working on a suspenseful novel set in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, her wonderfully history-rich home community. Christine manages to write books with at least one of her cats walking relentlessly across the keyboard, demanding food and attention. Learn more about Christine at www.ChristineTrent.com.

LYNDEE WALKER

LynDee Walker is the Amazon Charts bestselling author of two crime fiction series featuring strong heroines and “twisty, absorbing” mysteries. Her first Nichelle Clarke crime thriller, Front Page Fatality, was a finalist for the Agatha Award, and in 2020, her Texas Ranger Faith McClellan novel, Leave No Stone, was named a Thriller Award Finalist. Reviews have praised her work as “well-crafted, compelling, and fast-paced,” and “an edge-of-your-seat ride” with “a spider web of twists and turns that will keep you reading until the end.”

Aside from books, LynDee loves her family, her readers, travel, and coffee. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel when she’s not juggling laundry and children’s sports schedules. Visit her website at www.LyndeeWalker.com

HEATHER WEIDNER

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass. She is a member of Sisters In Crime–Central Virginia, Sisters in Crime–Chessie, Guppies, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers. Visit her website at www.HeatherWeidner.com.

PANELS

2:00 – 2:55pm

Making History: Writing Historical Period Mysteries

Let’s talk about carefully and precisely curating a guided mission to the past—how all the details truly matter and the challenges and joys of reveling in yesterday’s mysteries.

Moderator: Ellen Butler

Featuring: Bradley Harper | Allie Marie | Stacie Murphy

Katharine Schellman | Christine Trent

Taking Care of Business:

Plucky Heroes Navigating Everyday Life

OMG! They’re just like us! Except they somehow navigate work, love, and drama...and uncover the truth behind scandals and crime.

Moderator: Grace Topping

Featuring: Gabby Allan | Karen McCullough | R. A. Muth

Amy M. Reade | Rosalie Spielman

3:00 – 3:55pm

Savory Sleuths: Food and Mysteries

These authors have perfected their palates, each savoring the dynamic ingredients of a good mystery. Learn how the best meals are served with a side of murder (and more).

Moderator: Mindy Quigley

Featuring: Catherine Bruns | Lynn Cahoon

Maya Corrigan | Nancy Naigle

Ripped From the Headlines: Crafting Contemporary Crime Fiction

They say art imitates life and in this case, “they” are absolutely right! With the corruption and crime running amok throughout the world, it’s easy to feel “criminally inspired!”

Moderator: Betsy Ashton

Featuring: E. A. Aymar | Austin Camacho | John Gilstrap

Jeffrey James Higgins | Thomas Kies | Tara Laskowski

PANELS

4:00 – 4:55pm

Make It Snappy: Creating Inventive Short Fiction

“Ain’t nobody got time for that!” Look, we all know about the effect of time poverty, but a lack of time does not mean a lack of creativity, entertainment, and inspiration. Learn how these authors concisely construct quality short fiction.

Moderator: Shawn Reilly Simmons

Featuring: Teresa Inge | Dana King | Nan O’Berry

Josh Pachter | Art Taylor

Off

The Beaten Path: Mysteries in Unique Settings

Further proof that a good mystery can happen anywhere! Whether the setting is in this world, a different realm, or a place we’ve never traveled, these mysteries lure us in with their clever settings.

Moderator: Julie Moffett

Featuring: Paul Awad | Rebecca Hemlock | Jackie Layton

Kathryn O’Sullivan | Hunter J. Skye

5:00 – 5:55pm

Book ‘Em:

Literary-Lovin’ Gumshoes

Don’t quit your day job! Or do? Let’s chat about those characters who manage to balance their “real” jobs all the while sleuthing their ways to solving mysteries.

Moderator: Marni Graff

Featuring: Victoria Gilbert | Edwin Hill | Tim Holland | Con Lehane

Women To Watch: Writing Strong Female Protagonists

We’re leading the next generation of writers and readers to a place where women are more than victims, more than a distracting plot device—they are the story. Completely.

Moderator: John DeDakis

Featuring: Obelia Akanke | Thomas A. Burns, Jr.

Diane Fanning | K. L. Murphy | LynDee Walker