THE BIG THRILL:

VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY; WEBSITE CHAIR

Karen Dionne is the internationally published author of FREEZING POINT, a science thriller nominated by RT Book Reviews as Best First Mystery of 2008, and BOILING POINT, about an erupting volcano, a missing researcher, and a radical scheme to end global warming. Karen is also cofounder of the online writers community Backspace, and organizes the Backspace Writers Conferences held in New York City every year.

MANAGING EDITOR, THE BIG THRILL

Janice Gable Bashman is co-author (with NEW YORK TIMES bestseller Jonathan Maberry) of WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE, nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. Her short fiction has appeared in various anthologies, and she has written for leading publications, including NOVEL & SHORT STORY WRITER’S MARKET, THE WRITER, and WILD RIVER REVIEW. Visit her blog at www.janicegablebashman.com and find her on Twitter (janicebashman), Facebook and LinkedIn.

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, THE BIG THRILL

Anthony J. Franze is a lawyer in the Appellate and Supreme Court practice at a large Washington, D.C. law firm and author of the debut legal thriller, The Last Justice. In addition to his writing and law practice, he is an adjunct professor of law, has been a commentator for Bloomberg, the National Law Journal, and other news outlets, and has written for Suspense Magazine. Anthony lives in the D.C. area with his wife and three children.

FEATURE EDITORS

Brett King is an award-winning psychology professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His debut novel, THE RADIX, appeared in May 2010. New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver calls it, “A topnotch thriller! Part Da Vinci Code, part 24, The Radix is roller-coaster storytelling at its best.” King completed his second thriller and is at work on a third novel.

Feature editor Julie Kramer’s third book, SILENCING SAM, will be released June 22. Linda Fairstein said, “Silencing Sam has a sexy protagonist, a sinister plot, and delivers another delightful read in this smart series.” Kramer won the RT Book Reviewers Award for Best First Mystery and the Minnesota Book Award. She has also been a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark, Anthony, Barry, and Shamus Awards.

Paula L. Tutman is an Emmy Award winning journalist and award winning author of the murder mystery series, DEADLINE! Tutman is currently a working broadcast journalist at the NBC affiliate in Detroit. She has some 30 years in the news business, obviously beginning her career when she was six…no, make that three. Using her background as a former police reporter, she weaves real life stories and experiences into compelling mystery thrillers. She’s just completed her third novel, LOCAL NOOSE.

ROUNDTABLE COORDINATOR

J. H. Bográn, born and raised in Honduras, is the son of a journalist. He ironically prefers to write fiction rather than fact. José’s genre of choice is thrillers, but he likes to throw a twist of romance into the mix. His works include novels in both English and Spanish, short stories, contributor to The Big Thrill magazine, screenwriter for Honduras domestic television and movie reviewer for La Prensa. He’s a member of the International Thriller Writers and the online writer’s community Backspace.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Keith Raffel has held a top secret clearance to watch over CIA activities and has founded an award-winning Internet software company. Steve Berry called Keith’s latest book, Smasher: A Silicon Valley Thriller, “taut, tight, and suspenseful” and said it “skillfully carries the reader triumphantly from one climax to the next.”

Jeff Ayers is the author of VOYAGES OF IMAGINATION: THE STAR TREK FICTION COMPANION Pocket Books-November 2006. He frequently reviews thrillers for Library Journal and regularly interviews authors for LJ, the Seattle Post-Intellgencer, and Writer Magazine.

USA Today bestselling paranormal romance author Cathy Clamp, now also writing urban fantasy as Cat Adams, has co-authored over fifteen paranormal thrillers for Tor Books with C.T. Adams, along with multiple short stories and articles for magazines and anthologies. Their latest release, DEMON SONG, third book of The Blood Singer series, has garnered praise from both adult and young adult thriller reviewers. The Blood Singer series will be released in paperback in late summer, 2011, and should appear on French and Russian shelves in 2012.

Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times bestseller and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author and Marvel Comics writer. His novels include THE DRAGON FACTORY, PATIENT ZERO (in development for ABC TV), and ROT & RUIN. He writes DoomWar, Black Panther, Marvel Universe vs the Punisher for Marvel. He is the co-founder of The Liars Club. Visit his publishing industry blog at www.jonathanmaberry.com and find him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Karen Harper has been published for 25 years. She is the winner of the 2006 Mary Higgins Clark Award. A former college and high school English instructor, Harper currently writes contemporary suspense for Mira Books and historical novels for Putnam. She and her husband divide their time between Columbus, Ohio and Naples, Florida.

Josie Brown’s latest novel is THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN’S HANDBOOK. Her novel, SECRET LIVES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES, has been optioned by producer Jerry Bruckheimer as a dramatic television series for NBC-TV.

Austin S. Camacho has written a series about private detective Hannibal Jones and a series of adventure novels featuring mercenary Morgan Stark and jewel thief Felicity O’Brien. To pay the mortgage he answers media queries for the Defense Department. Camacho lives in Springfield, Virginia with his lovely wife Denise and Princess the Wonder Cat.

Christine Goff is the award-winning author of the bestselling “Birdwatcher’s Mystery” series. She began her career writing non-fiction for local, regional and national publication. Chosen Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2002 Writer of the Year, two of her novels were named finalists for the prestigious Willa Literary Award for Best Original Paperback Fiction; and her latest novel, DEATH SHOOTS A BIRDIE, was a named finalist for the Colorado Authors League 2008 Best Genre Fiction Award. Her novels focus on environmental concerns through bird-related issues. Currently, she is working on a new book; a thriller set in Israel.

Dennis Tafoya’s first novel, DOPE THIEF, was published by Minotaur Books in 2009. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and the Liars Club, a Philadelphia-area writers group. His second novel, THE WOLVES OF FAIRMOUNT PARK, will be released by Minotaur in June of 2010. His short story “Above the Imperial” will appear in Philadelphia Noir, coming from Akashic Books in November as part of their award-winning City Noir series. He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Michael Haskins is the writer of the Mick Murphy Key West Mystery series. CHASIN’ THE WIND the first in the series, was published in March 2008 and the second book, FREE RANGE INSTITUTION, will be available in February 2011. He has finished the third book in the series, CAR WASH BLUES. He lives with his wife, family, and sailboat in Key West, Florida.

John T. Cullen writes fiction and nonfiction. He is the author of A WALK IN ANCIENT ROME, Revised Second Edition (Sep 2009; nonfiction/ancient history); LETHAL JOURNEY (Sep 2009, dark thriller based on a true 1892 crime/ghost story); UMNITSA (WW2 espionage thriller); THE GENERALS OF OCTOBER (suspense: what if we had a Second Constitutional Convention?); and nearly two dozen other books.

Julie Korzenko is a senior paralegal at a boutique domestic law firm in Atlanta. Her first book DEVIL’S GOLD hit the shelves in March of 2009. Publisher’s Weekly stated that “Fans of Alex Kava, Shannon, McKenna, and Suzanne Brockmann will hope to see more of Cassidy and Jake.” She is currently wrapping up its sequel ANGEL FALLS.

John Darrin is a consultant on radiological emergency preparedness for homeland security. His work has taken him all over the world, and includes many unique and first-ever projects. A widower, John lives full-time in his RV and travels the country on the Go Places / Meet People / Do Things Tour.

Debra Webb wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain and within the confining political Walls of Berlin, Germany, that she realized her true calling. A five-year stint with NASA on the Space Shuttle Program reinforced her love of the endless possibilities within her grasp as a storyteller. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Debra has been writing romantic suspense and action packed romantic thrillers since.

Derek Gunn lives in Dublin, Ireland with his wife and three children and is the author of four novels. His post-apocalyptic thriller series, Vampire Apocalypse, has been widely praised on both sides of the Atlantic. Derek’s first book is currently in active development as a major movie. Graphic novel rights to Derek’s VAMPIRE APOCALYPSE series have been picked up by a US indie publisher – the first graphic novel is due out in 2011.

Steven Savile’s novel PRIMEVAL: SHADOW OF THE JAGUAR was a #1 bestseller in the UK. Primarily known for his fantasy and media tie-in work his debut thriller SILVER is due out from Variance in January 2010.

Lori A. May’s work has appeared in publications such as Writer’s Digest, The Writer, Tipton Poetry Journal, and anthologies such as Van Gogh’s Ear. She is the author of four books including stains: early poems and The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students. For more info, visit www.loriamay.com.

Milton Toby is an author and attorney who writes from his home in Georgetown, Kentucky. His long-standing involvement with Thoroughbred racing and the horse business, his representation of Death Row inmates, and years spent in the Third World combine to produce fiction crammed with unique twists and turns. His short stories have won national awards and he recently completed his first novel. Milton’s essay on Lionel Davidson’s THE ROSE OF TIBET will appear in the upcoming THRILLERS: 100 MUST READS.

During Don Helin’s career in the military, he spent three tours in the Pentagon, then worked as a lobbyist for industry. These two “Washington Insider” careers have provided him ample material for his thriller novels.

Nate Kenyon Nate Kenyon is a three-time Bram Stoker Award finalist, P&E Horror Novel of the Year Award winner, and author of BLOODSTONE, THE REACH, THE BONE FACTORY, SPARROW ROCK and STARCRAFT GHOST: SPECTRES. THE REACH and SPARROW ROCK have been optioned for film. His latest work is DIABLO III: THE ORDER , due in Spring 2012 in hardcover from Gallery Books and based on the bestselling videogame franchise. Kenyon is also working on a new thriller for Thomas Dunne Books. Nate lives in the Boston area, where he is at work on his next novel.

Brian Knight lives in Washington State with his family and the voices in his head. He is the author of BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE BOOTS and SEX, DEATH & HONEY, both from his new crime thriller series, The Misadventures of Butch Quick.

Michael F. Stewart is the author of several graphic novels published by Oxford University Press Canada. 24 BONES is his debut supernatural thriller, and THE SAND DRAGON is his first horror novel. His next novel, HURAKAN, will be released in Fall 2010. Michael lives and writes in Ottawa, Canada.

C.E. Lawrence’s debut thriller, Silent Screams, recounts NYPD criminal profiler Lee’ Campbell’s dark journey into the mind of a serial killer. The sequel, Silent Victim, will be out in December. Both books have been bought by Audible Books as well as Piper/Verlag in Germany.

Missing the romance, relationship drama, and action of her favorite television shows, X-Files, Roswell, and Highlander, Jaime Rush created her own mix in the Offspring series, from Avon Books. Jaime Rush is a pseudonym for bestselling Tina Wainscott, author of eighteen novels for St. Martin’s Press and Harlequin. Contests, sneak peeks and more at www.jaimerush.com.

Terry DiDomenico has spent most of her professional career editing and writing for university publications with a little freelancing on the side. She lives with her husband and two cats on four acres in south central Pennsylvania. She is working on her first novel – a thriller of course.

Dan Levy works from his Lincoln, Nebraska home as a freelance writer for the aviation and financial industries. His first novel, THE BLOWDOWN LIMIT, is an aviation-thriller winging its way in search of representation and publication. Bestselling author Jon Land noted, “Dan Levy’s THE BLOWDOWN LIMIT reminded me of Michael Crichton’s AIRFRAME and Thomas Block’s MAYDAY in all the right ways. Levy pilots his tale in a smooth and seasoned fashion that will make this the next book to make people think twice before flying the friendly skies.”

George Ebey is the author of Broken Clock, Dimensions: Tales of Suspense, The Red Bag, and Widowfield. He is a graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in writing. He lives with his wife, Gail, in Northeast Ohio.

L.J. Sellers is an award-winning journalist, editor, novelist, and occasional standup comic based in Eugene, Oregon. She writes the Detective Wade Jackson mystery series: Two are in print, The Sex Club and Secrets to Die For,and two more are in the works. L.J. also enjoys cycling, gardening, social networking, and hanging out with her family.

Clea Simon gave up journalism after three nonfiction books for a life of crime (fiction). The author of the Theda Krakow and Dulcie Schwartz traditional (“cozy”) mystery series, her sixth and most recent release is GREY MATTERS (Severn House, March 2010). This spring, she’ll launch her Pru Marlowe pet noir series (think: bad-girl animal psychic and a tabby with attitude) with DOGS DON’T LIE (Poisoned Pen Press, April 2011). She’ll also continue the Dulcie Schwartz series with GREY ZONE (Severn House, April 2011).

L. Dean Murphy interviews authors and reviews books for Bookreporter.com and The Big Thrill. The MWA, FWA and ITW member’s novel, The Art of Murder, is seeking agent representation. His maxim is When there’s nothing left, write.

Gary Kriss’s THE ZODIAC DECEPTION, about a con artist who having learned the art of illusion from Houdini is recruited by the OSS to use his skills for the ultimate deception: infiltrate the Nazi Occult Bureau and persuade Himmler to plot the assassination of Hitler, and its prequel, THE HOUDINI KILLER, will be published by TOR/Forge in 2011 and 2012 respectively. A writer for longer than he cares to remember, including a respectible stint with THE NEW YORK TIMES, Kriss now exists solely to make his lovely wife, Pat, his publisher, his editor, his agents, his dog and his cats proud of him. He still holds out hope that he can win over the dog.

Ethan Cross is the author of The Shepherd–a book that has been described as “Silence of the Lambs meets The Bourne Identity” and “A fast paced, all too real thriller with a villain right out of James Patterson and Criminal Minds”–and the pen name of a thriller author living and writing in Illinois with his wife, two daughters, and two Shih Tzus.

Lori Andrews is a law professor in Chicago and the director of the Institute for Science, Law and Technology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The National Law Journal named her one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America and the American College of Law and Medicine awarded her its highest honor, making her an Honorary Fellow for “distinguished achievement in the field of legal medicine.” Lori is also an award-winning writer who has published a wide array of magazine articles, as well as ten nonfiction books, the last three of which have earned her appearances on “Oprah.” A frequent guest on “Nightline,” “60 Minutes,” “CBS Morning News” and various other programs, she is often interviewed about genetic technologies. Read the Chicago Magazine profile, “Clone Ranger,” here.

Sandra Parshall is the Agatha Award-winning author of the Rachel Goddard mysteries: The Heat of the Moon, Disturbing the Dead, and Broken Places. A member of the national board of Sisters in Crime, she lives in the Washington, DC, area with her journalist husband. Visit her website and her blog, Poe’s Deadly Daughters.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling paranormal and romantic suspense author Caridad Pineiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project – to write a book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued with her passion for the written word through high school, college and law school. In 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released and a decade later, Caridad is the author of over twenty novels and novellas.

Unable to stay focused in school—science and math didn’t equate to happily ever after—Selena Robins excelled in Daydreaming 101 and Creative Writing. Her entrepreneurial skills became evident in the latter part of Junior High when she found herself penning essays and short stories for five bucks a pop. Her future as a writer was foreshadowed by winning first prize in a contest run by the Humane Society—a romance about two race horses who fell in love (the filly won the race and the stud). Selena has continued her passion for writing and reading. Her latest release, What A Girl Wants from Samhain Publishing has been described as a genre-defying novel, combining mystery, suspense, comedy and romance.

Virna DePaul is a former criminal prosecutor who sold her debut paranormal romantic suspense series to Berkley. The first book, Chosen By Blood, comes out in May of 2011. In addition, Virna recently became an author for the Silhouette Romantic Suspense line, and self-published a craft book called “Love Writing: A Guide To Writing & Publishing Your Romance Novel (Without Losing Your Perspective, Passion, Or Sanity).” For more information, go to www.virnadepaul.com and www.lovewritingbook.com

Jeannie Holmes is a native of southwest Mississippi. A total caffeine junkie, she currently lives in Mobile, Alabama with her husband, four neurotic cats, a shaggy arthritic dog, and is hard to find during hurricane season.

Kira Peikoff is a writer based in New York City. Her first novel LIVING PROOF will hit shelves in early 2012. Visit her online at www.kirapeikoff.com.

Andrew Zack is a veteran literary agent and author coach who has worked with a broad range of fiction and nonfiction authors. Working in-house or freelance, he has edited titles for Warner Books, Donald I. Fine, Berkley Books, Dell, Avon, and Forge Books. A literary agent for nearly twenty years, he established Author Coach, LLC to work with aspiring authors in need of editorial assistance and query-letter advice, as well as general publishing guidance.

Diane Holmes is the founder and Chief Alchemist of Pitch University, the first online, no-cost resource where writers who “suck at pitching” can learn to pitch their books from the agents and editors who make their living doing it.She’s founded writers’ groups, co-owned a small press, had plays produced, written novels and scripts, run writer’s contests, held offices in writing organizations, taught writing… and just like you, she sucks at pitching her own books. Her columns Fiction-Zone: Leaps in Fiction Mastery and Marketing-Zone: Marketing Yourself and Your Book are featured on Freelance-Zone.com.

SarahJane Heckscher-Marquis is a blogger, writer, and publisher based in London. Her current projects include My Ink Project, a blog on art and expressionism; a comedy fantasy novella called NINE LIVES, and a novel-length thriller HALF LIGHT. Her spare time is mainly occupied with reading, running repairs and her pets, a dog and two cats.

Ian Walkley switched to thriller writing after a career as a social and consumer researcher. He is an occasional travel writer and has previously authored and edited two books on small business. Ian’s debut conspiracy thriller, NO REMORSE, is the first in a series, and he is currently writing a crime thriller screenplay while researching a historical thriller set in bushranger-era Australia. Visit Ian’s website, at www.ianwalkley.com

An expert in criminal investigations and police procedures, Rick Reed is the author of THE CRUELEST CUT, and THE COLDEST FEAR, the books that launched the Jack Murphy thriller series. He is also the co-author of the acclaimed true crime novel, BLOOD TRAIL. Rick’s background includes Army Intelligence, Korean Language expert, Probation Officer, Circuit Court Investigator, Deputy Sheriff, and police detective, assistant professor of criminal justice. He now writes full-time in the San Francisco area.

Dawn Ius started writing at age 8 upon discovering writing about monsters was less scary than looking for them under her bed. She’s still leery of things that go bump in the night, but thinks her storytelling skills have improved. Dawn lives in Canada with her husband, stepdaughter and three bullmastiffs. You know, just skulking around. Dawn writes YA and MG fiction under the last name DALTON. Her haunting story, THREAD OF THE PAST, is included in the Spirited anthology published by Leap Books (2011).

Guy Bergstrom was an award-winning journalist before he turned to politics and speechwriting. He can be found on Twitter @speechwriterguy or at his blog, redpenofdoom.com

Born in Scotland, living in Canada and writing fast-paced U.S. fiction, Grant McKenzie likes to wear a kilt and toque with his six-guns. An internationally-published thriller author (SWITCH; NO CRY FOR HELP) often compared to Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay, Grant also has a secret identity as mystery writer M.C. Grant whose series debut ANGEL WITH A BULLET is being released by Midnight Ink in September.

Amy Shojai, CABC is a certified animal behavior consultant and author of 24 nonfiction pet care titles. Her debut thriller LOST AND FOUND (Fall 2012) features “dog voice.” Amy channels her inner cat/dog in her work and appears as an expert on Animal Planet and CNN, has talked hairballs on the Today Show, toured the country training cats, and serves as an expert witness in dog bite trials. She proudly wears a rhinestone #1-Bitch pin. Visit Amy at www.AmyShojai.com

Jeremy Burns is the author of the historical conspiracy thriller, FROM THE ASHES. Like his protagonist, Jonathan Rickner, Jeremy is holds a degree in history, has lived overseas for several years, and is an intrepid explorer whose own adventures have taken to more than twenty countries across four continents. When not exploring a new corner of the globe, Jeremy lives in Florida, where he is working on his next thrilling novel. Visit Jeremy at www.AuthorJeremyBurns.com.

John Raab is the CEO / Publisher for Suspense Magazine. Founded in 2007 Suspense Magazine is a monthly magazine dedicated in bringing fans and authors together in the genre of suspense / mystery / thriller and horror. John is married with four children, which raised his golf score by five strokes on each child. Currently John is also the host of the popular radio show “Suspense Radio” which is broadcast on Blog Talk Radio, giving fans the opportunity to hear from their favorite authors live. Visit Suspense Magazine and Suspense Radio.

James M. Tabor is an international award-winning and best-selling nonfiction author who has also worked in television. His new thriller, THE DEEP ZONE, has been praised as “Like Clive Cussler at his best” and “Right up there with the best from Baldacci, Crichton, Preston and Child.” Brad Thor called him “the new Michael Crichton.” Random House/Ballantine will publish a sequel to THE DEEP ZONE next April. Tabor earned an MFA from Johns Hopkins University and won the O.Henry Award for short fiction. He was the host and writer of the national PBS series, “The Great Outdoors, and co-creator and executive producer of The History Channel special, “Journey to the Center of the World.” He lives in Vermont, where he is at work on his next novel and a memoir about his days as a street cop in Washington, D.C.

Missing the romance, relationship drama, and action of her favorite television shows, X-Files, Roswell, and Highlander, Jaime Rush created her own mix in the Offspring series, from Avon Books (DARKNESS BECOMES HER). Rush is a pseudonym for Tina Wainscott, best-selling author of eighteen novels for St. Martin’s Press and Harlequin.

A product of the Alaskan wilderness Basil Sands is the author of the Amazon bestselling thrillers 65 BELOW, FAITHFUL WARRIOR and KARL’S LAST FLIGHT available in eBook, paperback and audiobook. Basil is also an award winning audiobook narrator who has recorded for several ITW authors, more on that at www.sandmanstudiosak.com. He lives in Anchorage Alaska with his wife and teen sons.

Tracy March writes about ethical dilemmas in unethical times. As a former pharmaceutical sales executive, she draws inspiration from her experiences in the medical field and her fascination with politics. Look for GIRL THREE, Tracy’s debut thriller set in Washington, D.C., in Spring 2013. Tracy lives in Yorktown, Virginia, with her husband who works for NASA. They recently experienced two years living in D.C, where they discovered enough drama to inspire a lifetime of stories.

Aimée and David Thurlo are the bestselling authors of the long running Ella Clah mysteries, the Lee Nez vampire books optioned by Red Nation Films, the Copper Canyon series for Harlequin Intrigue, and the Trading Post suspense series for Tor/Forge. They’ve received the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and the New Mexico Book Award for Mystery/Suspense.

J.N. Duncan was born in California, and currently lives in Ohio with four children, a couple of dogs and cats, and is living the dream of seeing his stories out there on bookshelves. He’s a writer thanks in large part to a writer grandmother, and tends to lean heavily toward the geek side of things. He’s an avid gamer, lover of astronomy and is plugging away at becoming a teacher.

Connie (Corcoran) Wilson, M.S., is a University of Iowa graduate and an active voting member of HWA, AWP, IWPA and MWA, an associate member of ITW, and was named Writer of the Year by MWC (Midwest Writing Center) and Content Producer of the Year (Jan., 2009) by a 600,000 member blog (Associated Content/Yahoo). She has taught writing at 6 colleges and published 2 novels, 5 short story collections, 2 humor collections and 1 children’s illustrated book since 2003. Her newest novel THE COLOR OF EVIL was just named the Gold Medal Winner in the (Jenkins Group) E-Lit competition, while the IWPA (Illinois Women’s Press Association) will award her its Silver Feather Award on June 2nd. She will be a presenter at the Spellbinders’ Conference in Hawaii over Labor Day and her new collection of short stories, HELLFIRE & DAMNATION II, is scheduled for release by then by its Rhode Island publisher.

Publisher’s Weekly has featured Andy Straka as one of a new crop of “rising stars in crime fiction.” His books include A WITNESS ABOVE (Anthony, Agatha, and Shamus Award finalist), A KILLING SKY (Anthony Award Finalist), COLD QUARRY (Shamus Award Winner), KITTY HUNTER (called a “great read” by Library Journal), and RECORD OF WRONGS, hailed by Mystery Scene magazine as “a first-rate thriller.”

Mary Leo grew up in Chicago in the tangle of a big Italian family. She’s worked in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and the tech industry in Silicon Valley. Her latest book, TRUSTING EVIL, a suspense, is based on a true Chicago crime. THE SPIA FAMILY PRESSES ON is the first book in a murder mystery series. Between her more intense books, Mary enjoys writing light-hearted romance. She lives in San Diego with her husband, author Terry Watkins, and their sweet kitty, Sophie.

Azam Gill is the author of five books including two thrillers: JAIL REFORMS, ARMY REFORMS, WINDS OF CHANGE, BLOOD MONEY and FLIGHT TO PAKISTAN. He served in the French Foreign Legion, did his Ph.D on William Faulkner, and lectures in English at one of Toulouse University’s rural colleges.

Thomas Pluck writes hardboiled thrillers and unflinching fiction with heart. His stories have appeared in The Utne Reader, Burnt Bridge, PANK magazine, Noir Nation, Crime Factory, Spinetingler, Beat to a Pulp, and numerous anthologies. He is also editor of PROTECTORS: STORIES TO BENEFIT PROTECT, which benefits PROTECT and The National Association to Protect Children. Thomas lives in New Jersey with his wife Sarah. You can find him as @tommysalami on Twitter. He is working on his first novel.

INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Michael Sears writes with Stanley Trollip under the name Michael Stanley. Their mystery novels, featuring Detective Kubu, are set in Botswana, a fascinating country with magnificent conservation areas and varied peoples. The third mystery, DEATH OF THE MANTIS, involving the Bushmen of the Kalahari, was released last year. Michael has lived in South Africa, Kenya, Australia and the US. He lectures in applied mathematics and computing, and now lives in Johannesburg.

EVENTS CALENDAR EDITOR

Leighton Gage has lived in Australia, Europe, and South America, traveled widely in Asia and Africa. He’s been a copywriter, an advertising creative director, a magazine editor, and a writer/producer/director of documentary films and industrial videos. Leighton now writes full time. Sequels to his first book, BLOOD OF THE WICKED (Soho Press) are due for release in January of 2009, 2010 and 2111. He has two daughters in The Netherlands and two more in the United States. He and his wife spend much of their time in Brazil, her native country.