CO-MANAGING EDITORS, THE BIG THRILL
John and Shannon Raab founded Suspense Magazine in 2007 and from there, expanded into the publishing world with Suspense Publishing in 2010. Since that time, they’ve published over 200 titles, including the anthologies: NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT edited by Jeffery Deaver and INFINITY edited by Catherine Coulter. Suspense Magazine launched over 100 issues and the Suspense Podcasts released 950 episodes with over 2,000 author interviews.
When they’re not traveling around Asia, they live in Los Angeles and spend their free time with their amazing daughters and granddaughter.
ASSISTANT EDITOR, THE BIG THRILL
K.L. Romo writes about life on the fringe: teetering dangerously on the edge is more interesting than standing safely in the middle. She is passionate about women’s issues, loves noisy clocks and fuzzy blankets, but HATES the word normal. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and is Assistant Editor for The Big Thrill. She is also a book reviewer, her bylines included in Library Journal, The Big Thrill, Washington Independent Review of Books, BookTrib, and Shondaland. Her reviews and articles appear at www.romosreadingroom.com, and you can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
ASSISTANT EDITOR, THE BIG THRILL
José H. Bográn is an award-winning international author of novels, short stories, and scripts for television and film. He writes in both English and his native Spanish. José was born in Honduras, the son of a journalist who ironically prefers to write fiction rather than facts. His genre of choice is crime fiction, but he likes to pour a dash of others into the mix.
He’s a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and the International Thriller Writers.
He signs his emails with the motto: “I never tell lies, I only write them.”
THRILLERFEST COORDINATOR
Ruth Church has been involved with ThrillerFest as an aspiring writer and volunteer since 2017. She remembers fondly how her obsession with audiobooks began with a hamstring injury; “While listening to Gone Girl on what was supposed to be an 8km run, the big plot twist was revealed and I couldn’t turn my attention away. It was 18km before I returned home limping, but it was well worth it!” It has been her great pleasure to listen and read our ThrillerFest authors ever since. As a hobby, she has created My Theme Tea, a website with book themed menus. If you see her at ThrillerFest, please reach out to say hello!
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, THE BIG THRILL
Guy Bergstrom is a political speechwriter who’s also won awards for journalism and fiction. You can reach him on Twitter @speechwriterguy.
Robyn Bonavita has been a reader her entire life. Two years ago, she decided to get back into reviewing and created her bookstagram, @robyn_reads1. She’s a mom of 2 and lives in NY. Her favorite genres are thrillers and women’s fiction.
Josie Brown is the author of the best-selling HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN’S HANDBOOK series novels (14 novels); the TOTLANDIA series (6 novels) and the TRUE HOLLYWOOD LIES (2 novels). Her other novels include: THE CANDIDATE (political thriller), THE BABY PLANNER (contemporary women’s fiction), and SECRET LIVES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES (contemporary women’s fiction) which was optioned by producer Jerry Bruckheimer for television. Josie lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.
Mindy Carlson, author of HER DYING DAY, grew up on a farm in northern Iowa. She got her degree in Animal Science and then instead of going to vet school she took a left turn and moved into a commune in Berkeley, CA. Naturally, she now writes comedic mysteries featuring messy women heroes in impossible situations. Mindy lives outside Washington, DC with her husband, two kids, and two cats. She loves coffee shops, curling, and champagne brunches. If you want to see what she’s baking, knitting, writing, reading, or thinking, you can pop by her website, www.MindyCarlson.com.
Because Charlie Cochrane couldn’t be trusted to do anything grown up, she writes mysteries. These include the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, the contemporary Lindenshaw Mysteries and her 1950s Alasdair and Toby series where two actors play Holmes and Watson both onscreen and off. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Riptide, Lume, and Williams and Whiting, among others.
Charlie is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, and has regularly appeared at literary festivals, reader conventions and author conferences. In 2023, she was short listed for the CWA’s Marjorie Allingham short story prize.
Kia Dennis was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington, D.C. A writer since a young age, after college Kia earned a law degree and worked as an attorney and legal instructor for fifteen years but never stopped writing fiction. She writes under the pen names K.D Richards and Kia D. Richards. She currently splits her time between Toronto and Maryland.
Charlie is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, and has regularly appeared at literary festivals, reader conventions and author conferences. In 2023, she was short listed for the CWA’s Marjorie Allingham short story prize.
USA Today bestselling author Tracey Devlyn wanted to be the next Dian Fossey and explore the wilds of Africa, but that was before she met chemistry and calculus. With an enthusiasm for research that translates into creative (and disturbing) plot twists for her characters to navigate, it’s no surprise that her suspense-laden stories excite her readers and offer a glimpse of the nefarious nature lurking behind her smile. Despite the thrilling, emotional ride she gives her readers, Tracey enjoys a laid back, fleece and boots lifestyle with her husband and rescue dogs at her home in the mountains of North Carolina. Visit Tracey at traceydevlyn.com, @traceydevlyn on Twitter, @traceydevlyn on Instagram, and @AuthorTraceyDevlyn on Facebook.
Azam Gill is a novelist, analyst and retired Lecturer from Toulouse University, France. He has authored eight books, including three thrillers — Blood Money, Flight to Pakistan and Blasphemy. He also writes for The Express Tribune, a New York Times affiliate and blogs on his website. He served in the French Foreign Legion, French Navy and the Punjab Regiment.
Derek Gunn is a native of Ireland who writes horror and thriller fiction and is the author of the bestselling Vampire Apocalypse series and four other novels. He has featured on BBC radio, various podcasts and has appeared at many conventions in the UK and Ireland. He is a member of and a Contributing Editor to The International Thriller Writers Association and an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association.
Millie Naylor Hast throws her characters over the edge in their quests to address important themes of today. A former journalist and news junkie, she has won two national awards for her manuscripts. She is a graduate of the FBI, DEA, Houston Police, and Bellaire Police Citizens Academies. When not writing, she hikes, kayaks, cycles, and plots new adventures.
During his time in the military, Don Helin served at a number of stateside posts as well as overseas in Vietnam and Germany. He is the author of eight thrillers that draw from those military experiences. He is the author of his own memoir, From Army Regulations to Novels, a Writer’s Journey, and is the editor of the award winning anthology, Voices from the Pandemic, a collection of thirty-two memoirs about writers’ experiences during the Pandemic. For further information, check out Don’s website, www.donhelin.com.
Liz Lazarus is an engineer by education, a consultant & business owner from experience and an author given her passion to tell stories.
Her first novel is loosely based on a personal experience and a series of ‘what if’ questions following a foiled attack. FREE OF MALICE tells the story of a journalist who grapples with the legal system to acknowledge her right to self-defense.
Liz’s second novel, PLEA FOR JUSTICE depicts the journey of a paralegal striving to reveal the truth about her estranged friend’s incarceration, and leading her on a parallel path of self-discovery.
Her recently released third thriller, SHADES OF SILENCE, showcases the resilience of a woman faced with devastating loss, the unexpected friendship forged from tragedy and the recurring societal themes that confront every generation.
Her books are known for their strong female protagonists, thorough research and killer twist endings.
Lisa Malice is an organizational psychologist-turned-thriller writer. Her first book, Lest She Forget, will be published by CamCat Books in Fall 2023. The unpublished manuscript earned finalist honors in five writing contests. Her WIP, Rock-A-Bye Baby, was a Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist. In addition to ITW, Lisa is active is Sisters in Crime, having served as a chapter president and vice president, and at the national level, as a webinar producer and moderator. An associate member of MWA and its Florida chapter, Lisa lives in the Tampa area with her husband.
Adam Meyer is a novelist, screenwriter and short story writer. He’s the author of the novel THE LAST DOMINO, an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant YA Readers, and has published more than three dozen short stories. His short fiction has won the Derringer Award, been nominated for the Shamus Award, and was chosen for BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE 2023. He’s also written many TV movies as well as more than a hundred documentaries for National Geographic, Discovery, Tubi and others. He lives with his family in Virginia.
Terri Nolan began her writing career as a newspaper and radio journalist. She has a degree in Radio/Television from the University of Texas at Arlington. Nolan is the author of three thrillers featuring investigative journalist Birdie Keane. The critically acclaimed and award nominated trilogy includes the novels BURDEN OF TRUTH, GLASS HOUSES, BLUE BIRD, and the short story HOBO JOE. She lives in the Los Angeles area.
Neil Nyren is the former EVP, associate publisher, and editor in chief of G.P. Putnam’s Sons and the winner of the 2017 Ellery Queen Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Among the writers of crime and suspense he has edited are Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, John Sandford, C. J. Box, Robert Crais, Carl Hiaasen, Daniel Silva, Jack Higgins, Frederick Forsyth, Ken Follett, Jonathan Kellerman, Ed McBain, and Ace Atkins. He now writes about crime fiction and publishing for CrimeReads, BookTrib, The Big Thrill, and The Third Degree, among others, and is a contributing writer to the Anthony/Agatha/Macavity-winning How to Write a Mystery.
He is currently writing a monthly publishing column for the MWA newsletter The Third Degree, as well as a regular ITW-sponsored series on debut thriller authors for BookTrib.com and is an editor at large for CrimeReads.
Dimitris Passas is a freelance writer and blogger since the beginning of 2020 when he launched his ambitious project, an online magazine, Tap the Line (www.tapthelinemag.com) in which he writes reviews and articles about books, movies, and TV series as well as features recommendation lists, news of the artistic and cultural world while also hosting Q+As with authors, cinema artists and TV creators. His fascination with crime fiction was born immediately after reading back in 2016, Jo Nesbo’s novel The Snowman. From then on, he continued reading a vast number of books which became his favorite hobby. Since 2023, Dimitris is a CWA Associate Member and a contributor of words to the popular movies website Dmovies (Dmovies.org).
Tracey Phillips considers herself a serial artist who is an avid gardener and proficient pianist. She teaches piano lessons, loves to draw, and writes in two genres. Her debut, BEST KEPT SECRETS (Crooked Lane Books, 2019) won a Hugh Holton Award in 2018. Her manuscript Mother of Secrets was a 2022 finalist for the Clayton Award for best unpublished detective novel. She’s published 2 short stories and in 2020 she founded Blackbird Writers, a flock of authors flying under the mystery umbrella. Learn more at www.traceysphillips.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Rick Pullen, an award-winning investigative reporter and magazine editor, was named in 2015 to the FOLIO 100—the 100 most influential people in magazine publishing—and a runner up for magazine Editor of the Year. He’s started two magazines and edited a third. In 2016 his first novel, Naked Ambition, was an Amazon bestseller, followed by its sequel, Naked Truth (Silver Falchion Award finalist) and a standalone, The Apprentice.
Rick ’s newsletter, Idol Talk, covers tidbits and gossip about famous crime authors (learn more at rickpullen.com). He’s also writing an anthology about what famous thriller authors endured to get their first novel published. Rick splits his time between Virginia and Florida and likes nothing more than a Padron cigar, a good beer and sand between his toes.
Bryan E. Robinson, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, psychotherapist in private practice, and award-winning author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books that have been translated into 15 languages. He has appeared on 20/20, Good Morning America, ABC’s World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, NBC Universal, the CBS Early Show, CBS The Doctors, and The Marketplace on PBS. He hosted the PBS documentary “Overdoing It: How to Slow Down and Take Care of Yourself.” His is author of the book, Daily Writing Resilience: 365 Meditations and Inspirations for Writers (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2018) which gives daily tips to new and seasoned fiction and nonfiction authors and #Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn on Your Life (HarperCollins, 2019). His latest book, Chained to the Desk in a Hybrid World: A Guide to Work-Life Balance (NYU Press, 2023) is receiving wide acclaim.
He is a contributor for Forbes, Thrive Global, Psychology Today, and The Big Thrill. Bryan writes both fiction and nonfiction. He has lectured all over the world on resiliency, life balance and self-compassion. He co-hosts the annual live international live stream webinar—this year known as Resiliency 2023—and lives in Asheville with his spouse, one Yorkie, three Golden doodles, and occasional bears at night.
genuinedcr.com • @dcrbooks • facebook.com/authordcr
Robert Rotstein is the USA Today best-selling author of We, The Jury (Blackstone 2018), a Suspense Magazine 2018 Best Book. With James Patterson, he is the author of The Family Lawyer, the title story of the New York Times best-selling collection. He has written The Bomb Maker’s Son, Reckless Disregard, and Corrupt Practices (Seventh Street Books), about attorney Parker Stern.
Charles Salzberg, is author of the Shamus Award nominated Swann’s Last Song, Swann Dives In, Swann’s Lake of Despair, Swann’s Way Out, Devil in the Hole, named one of the best crime novels of 2013 by Suspense Magazine, and Second Story Man, winner of the Beverly Hills Book Award for best crime novel of 2018. He is on the Board of MWA-NY.
Basil Sands is the author of military and historical thrillers, novellas, and short stories, many set in his home state of Alaska. He’s also a professional audiobook narrator with work published by many major audiobook producers such as Recorded Books, Tantor, ChristianAudio, Audible and for many fellow members of ITW. Born on a homestead near Fairbanks Alaska, he served in the US Marines, was a Chef to the Spies (military dining manager at the NSA), computer shop owner, lumberjack, Wilderness Rescue EMT, Boy Scout leader, youth minister, talk radio host, and has spent over twenty years as a government IT guy. He lives in Anchorage Alaska with his Porsche driving Korean wife, and has three grown sons and a Yorkie named ‘Heimdall, The Norse Dog’. His most recent series, ICE HAMMER, as well as his back list of novels are published/republished by Permuted Press. Whilst he does rent his basement out to four actual Leprechauns, featured in his sole comic novel along with his Butler Gerald, a Reformed Arctic Cave Troll, he has never been able to convince Chive the Multidimensional Psychedelic Space-Goat to do karaoke with the gang. Oh well, such is the life of a Sub-Arctic Madman.
Michael Sears writes with Stanley Trollip under the name Michael Stanley. Their award-winning mystery series with Detective Kubu is set in Botswana, a fascinating country with wonderful conservation areas and varied peoples. They also have a stand-alone thriller Dead of Night, which introduces Minnesotan environmental journalist Crystal Nguyen. Set mainly in South Africa, it has as backstory the vicious trade in rhino horn.
Their latest book, A Deadly Covenant, is a prequel featuring Kubu as a young detective, set near the magnificent Okavango Delta. Kubu has to work out why an ancient massacre of a Bushman clan is causing deaths in the present day and who is behind them.
Michael has lived in South Africa, Kenya, Australia and the US. He now lives in Knysna on the Cape south coast of South Africa. Please visit his website and follow him on Facebook.
Jaden Terrell is the author of the Jared McKean private detective series and a contributor to Now Write! Mysteries, a collection of exercises for writers of crime fiction. Her short stories have appeared in KILLER NASHVILLE NOIR, and she writes for the Killer Nashville Magazine. The recipient of the 2009 Magnolia Award for service to the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, Terrell is also a writing coach, workshop leader, and compassionate editor.
