2025 Authors A-J

Amazon All Star Author Tonya Kappes has written more than 175 southern cozy mysteries, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and Woman's World Book Club pick seven times . Best known for stories charged with southern charm, emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband in northern Kentucky. Now that her four boys have flown out of the nest, Tonya writes full-time in her camper! Hollywood has taken notice of Tonya’s success and a television show based on her bestselling 40-book A Camper & Criminals Mystery Series is in development. Visit Tonya's website, tonyakappes.com.

authors a-j

Esme Addison is the bestselling author of the Enchanted Bay mysteries, the first of which was nominated for an Agatha Award, and the brand new Secret Society mysteries. Esme lives in Raleigh, NC with her family and is a member of Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America and Crime Writers of Color. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, traveling, and indulging her love of history at museums and historical sites. VIsit her site, esmeaddison.com.

Dee Armstrong is a Romance and Suspense author. She's a mother of five, a book-lover, a tea-addict, a black belt, and a gardening ninja. She hosts a Spill the Tea Book Chat on her YouTube channel, Dee Armstrong Author, where she connects her Book-Loving Friends with new books and authors. Dee served as a Russian Linguist in the Air Force. Now, her passion is telling stories. She writes from her soul and leaves her heart on the page. If you love knee-melting romance or mind-bending mystery sprinkled with humor, then you'll love her books. Dive between the pages of one of Dee's novels and let her characters leave a fingerprint on your heart. Check out Dee's website deearmstrong.com.

Betsy Ashton is an award-winning author for the 2021 Firebird Book Awards for Out of the Desert and Betrayal and the 2023 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite Silver Certificate for Betrayal. Born in Washington D.C., Betsy 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 (all republished in 2021): serial killer psychological fiction, Eyes Without a Face, published in 2017: and literary or women's fiction, Out of the Desert, August 2019. Her latest 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 and Candles of Hope. 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. An activist in her earlier years, she earned the nickname of "Buckshot Betsy," during a march in California. You'll have to ask her for details. Reach her at betsy-ashton.com.

Bonnie Blevins is a mom, U.S. Army Veteran and author of military, sci-fi, romances. Hailing from a small Virginia town with a big dream to serve her country, Bonnie embarked on her own adventure when she enlisted in the U.S. Army as a military police officer at seventeen. Throughout her tenure, she penned a collection of short stories that ultimately laid the groundwork for her first novel that she independently wrote and published, Virgil Team, with many more in the pipeline. When she isn’t writing, Bonnie enjoys horseback riding, photography, and video games. Visit Bonnie’s website at linktr.ee/authorbonnieblevins.

TB. Bond has been writing, drawing, and web designing for years. When she is not doing one of those things, she’s reading and watching anime. Nerdtastic to the core she’s a Whovian, Trekie, Otaku, and probably a whole host of other things. Currently, she lives with her husband, a fellow nerd, in Virginia. Learn more about T.B. and her books at her website, bondgirlblue.com.

Kimberly Burns grew up in Colorado hearing stories about the colorful characters of the Old West. When she moved to the East Coast, few people knew these fascinating tales. Following her fathers first rule of storytelling (never let the facts get in the way of a good story), Kimberly began writing novels based on the true stories of the wild women of the Old West. Her debut novel, The Mrs. Tabor, is based on the scandalous life of America’s original gold digger. The book won numerous awards including the Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award for Best New Novel, a gold medal for Best Regional Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards, a National Indie Excellence Award, and a silver medal from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY Awards. Her most recent novel, The Redemption of Mattie Silks, tells of Denver’s most successful madam and her feud with notorious con man Soapy Smith. It was a finalist for the CIBA Laramie Award and the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award, as well as a gold medalist in the Colorado Indie Publisher EVVY Awards. Kimberly has degrees from The University of Colorado and the University of Hartford. She is a member of Women Writing the West, the Historical Novel Society, and Western Writers of America. Visit Kimberly’s website, kimberlyburnsauthor.com.

Mary Burton is thriller/suspense author who is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels. Her recent titles, including Another Girl Lost, The House Beyond the Dunes, and The Lies I Told have captivated readers worldwide. Honored with the 2019 Montlake Romance Diamond Award for reaching one million readers, Mary’s accolades continue with a nomination for the 2023 International Thriller Writer Award and three RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America. She incorporates her journey from her Richmond, Virginia, roots to her current home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in her vivid storytelling. She graduated from Virginia’s Hollins University and enjoyed a successful career in marketing before she became a prolific author. With an impressive repertoire of 40 novels and 5 novellas under her belt as Mary Burton, and 11 works of contemporary fiction as Mary Ellen Taylor, including The Promise of Tomorrow, When the Rain Ends, and The Brighter The Light, she continues to enchant readers with her diverse storytelling, each tale a testament to her rich and varied experiences. A proud member of the International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Mystery Writers of America, Mary finds joy in connecting with readers at bookstores, festivals, and conferences. Visit her website, maryburton.com.

Ellen Butler is the #1 Amazon 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.” Butler is also the author of the award-winning historical suspense novel, The Brass Compass. The Brass Compass has won multiple awards for historical fiction including: a Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award, Indie Reader Discovery Award, and a Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal. The second book in the duology, Operation Blackbird: A Cold War Spy Novel, is inspired by true events, and won a Next Generation Indie Book Award gold medal for historical fiction. Reviewers are calling it “riveting,” and, “a thrilling adventure.” Check out her website at ellenbutler.net.

Austin S. Camacho is the author of eight novels about Washington DC-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: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey. He is a past president of the Maryland Writers Association, past Vice President of the Virginia Writers Club, and one of the creators of the Creatures, Crimes & Creativity literary conference - now in its 12th year. Check out his website at ascamacho.com.

Lee Clark is a self-confessed coffeeholic and dark chocoholic who resides in North Carolina with her husband, two mostly grown children who are in and out, and a dwindling petting zoo of geriatric dogs and cats. Clark grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, with family roots in Virginia. She attended Campbell University, obtained a degree in journalism from East Carolina University, and then a master’s in technical communication from North Carolina State University. After working in the software technology industry for over twenty years, creating and building highly technical user information for software developers, Clark decided it was time to pursue a true passion: fiction writing. Follow her along on her site cypressrivermedia.com.

Cassandra Rose Clarke’s work has placed in the Rhysling Awards and been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Romantic Times
Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Pushcart Prize, and YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults. She grew up in south Texas and currently lives in Virginia, where she writes and tends to multiple cats. She holds an M.A. in creative writing from The University of Texas at Austin, and in 2010 she attended the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop in Seattle. Visit her website cassandraroseclarke.com.

Maya Corrigan writes the Five-Ingredient Mysteries featuring a young café manager and her young-at-heart grandfather, the Codger Cook. They share a house along the Chesapeake Bay, a love of food, and a talent for catching killers. Each book has five suspects, five clues, and Granddad’s five-ingredient recipes. Maya’s 8th book, BAKE OFFED, takes place at a fatal mystery fan festival. In her latest book, A PARFAIT CRIME, Val and Granddad rehearse for an amateur production of an Agatha Christie play with a cast that includes murder suspects. Maya has taught college courses in writing, American literature, and detective fiction. When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, travel, trivia, cooking, and crosswords. Visit mayacorrigan.com for book news, easy recipes, fun food facts, and mystery history and trivia.

Mollie Ann Cox is the author of several popular mystery series, also writing under the pen name Maggie Blackburn and Mollie Cox Bryan. Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman's World. The Lace Widow is the first time she's combined her passion for history and mystery. She makes her home at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Crozet, V.A. Follow along with her website molliecoxbryan.com.

Writing Coach, Manuscript Editor, and Award-winning Novelist John DeDakis is a former Senior Copy Editor on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” DeDakis is the author of six novels in the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series. In his most recent novel, Enemies Domestic, Lark is a pregnant White House press secretary forced to make an abort-or-not-to-abort decision in a highly toxic and polarized political fishbowl while dealing with an attack on the presidency. DeDakis, a former White House correspondent, regularly teaches novel writing at literary centers and writers’ conferences. He is also a podcaster, and a rank amateur jazz drummer. Visit John’s website, johndedakis.com.

Diane Fanning is the Edgar-nominated, best-selling author of fifteen true crime books and 11 mysteries and a recipient of the Defender of Innocence award from the Innocence Project. She has served as a consultant to 48 Hours, was a regular presence on 14 seasons of Deadly Women, and appeared on the Today Show, 20/20, Forensic Files, Snapped, the Biography Channel, Investigation Discovery, E! and the BBC as well as numerous podcasts. Raised in Baltimore County, she moved to Virginia, then south Texas, and she now lives in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Bedford, Virginia. Visit Diane’s website, dianefanning.com.

John Gilstrap is the Thriller Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of over two dozen thrillers, including Zero Sum, Harm’s Way, White Smoke, Deadly Game, Blue Fire, Stealth Attack, Crimson Phoenix, Hellfire, Total Mayhem, Scorpion Strike, Final Target, Friendly Fire, Nick of Time, Against All Enemies, End Game, Soft Targets, High Treason, Damage Control, Threat Warning, Hostage Zero, No Mercy, Nathan’s Run, At All Costs, Even Steven, Scott Free and Six Minutes to Freedom. Prior to the beginning of his writing career, John served 15 years in the fire and rescue service. Four of John’s books have been purchased or optioned for the Big Screen. In addition, he has written four screenplays for Hollywood, adapting the works of Nelson DeMille, Norman McLean and Thomas Harris. A frequent speaker at literary events, John also teaches seminars on suspense writing techniques at a wide variety of venues, from local libraries to The Smithsonian Institution. Outside of his writing life, John is a renowned safety expert with extensive knowledge of explosives, weapons systems, hazardous materials, and fire behavior. John lives in Shepherdstown, WV. Visit his website, johngilstrap.com.

Nicole Glover is the author of the historical fantasy series, Murder and Magic, which includes The Conductors and The Improvisers. When she’s not writing, she’s working as a UX researcher where her knowledge about murder and other mysteries is surprisingly useful. Check out Nicole’s website, nicole-glover.com.

Marni Graff is the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney English Mysteries and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries. Her short stories are in several anthologies, including the Anthony Award-winning Malice Domestic’s Murder Most Edible. She is Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, a crime book reviewer, and blogs for Miss Demeanors, a popular blog written by crime writers. Marni is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mavens of Mayhem SinC, Triangle SinC, Mystery People UK and the International Association of Crime Writers. She lives in eastern NC with her husband and two Aussiedoodles, Seamus and Fiona. Marni loves to hear from readers. Reach out to her at: [email protected]; on Twitter @GraffMarni; or her website: marnigraff.com.

Bradley Harper retired from the US Army as a pathologist in 2012 and began writing at age 63. His debut novel, A Knife in the Fog, placed a young Doctor Conan Doyle on the trail of Jack the Ripper. It was a 2019 Edgar’s Finalist and won Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion. The audiobook won Audiofile Magazine’s Earphone Award. It was later made a Recommended Read by the Conan Doyle Estate. The sequel, Queen’s Gambit, won the 2020 Silver Falchion as Best Suspense and Book of the Year. 2021-2022 Brad attended a one-year in-residence Master’s in Creative Writing at Napier University in Edinburgh, graduating with Distinguished marks in screenwriting. His subsequent works include Reflections in a Dragon’s Eye, a modern-day police procedural set in Baltimore, a 2024 Silver Falchion Finalist, and a memoir he co-wrote with Leslie Lautenslager about her 25 years as personal assistant to GEN Colin Powell. The memoir, My Time with Colin Powell, Tales of Kindness and Diplomacy, has gotten rave reviews across the political spectrum. In July 2024 Brad was on the film set of Leviathan, a short movie based upon A Knife in the Fog. He wrote the screenplay with copious notes from the director and actors. It will be used to pitch a larger adaptation to studios. Follow along on his website bharperauthor.com.

Jenna Harte loves books filled with crime and passion. She’s the author of the cozy Sophie Parker Coupon Mystery series, the romantic suspenseful Valentine Mysteries, and the Southern Heat contemporary romance series. She also created The Author’s Novel Organizer and the Author’s Social Media and Community Building Planner to help authors organize their writing and marketing projects. She manages an online romance author community at WritewithHarte.com, which hosts an annual novel writing challenge in October and November. She’s led workshops or sat on a panel at a variety of events including Thrillerfest, The Suffolk Mystery Author’s Festival, Domestic SaSS, Creatures, Crimes & Creatives (C3), and more. When she’s not telling stories, she works by day as a ghostwriter, having written over 70 books for her clients over the last 5 years. Keep up on the passion, murder and mayhem at jennaharte.com.

Rebecca Hemlock is an award-winning Christian Fiction author of 10+ books. She began her novel writing career, after four years of working as a freelance journalist. She is an active member of The American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime and loves writing for those who want a little mystery and historical elements mixed with their Romantic Suspense. Rebecca has earned a bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing along with an Appalachian Studies certificate and plans to continue her writing education. Her favorite times to write are early in the morning when the sun is coming up and sets over her Eastern Kentucky hilltop home. Visit her website rebeccahemlock.com.

Jeffrey James Higgins is a retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, 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, National Geographic, and The New York Times. He’s a #1 Amazon bestselling author with numerous literary awards, including the Claymore Award, PenCraft’s Best Fiction Book, and a Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal. He has been a panelist at ThrillerFest, Killer Nashville, Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity, and other conferences. Black Rose Writing published his first three novels, FURIOUS, UNSEEN, and THE FOREVER GAME. Severn River Publishing has acquired Jeffrey’s forthcoming Nathan Burke espionage series, which will launch in June 2025. Jeffrey is an active member of the Authors Guild, The Virginia Writers Club, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and the Royal Writers Secret Society. Discover Jeffrey’s writing at jeffreyjameshiggins.com.

Tim Holland is the author of four Sidney Lake Lowcountry Mystery Novels, including The Rising Tide, The Murder of Amos Dunn, Deception and December Rain as well as the stand-alone mystery What the Mirror Doesn't See. His new series The Jack Donovan Mysteries will debut in 2025 with An Impulse for Murder. He is a director of the Williamsburg Book Festival, a past director of Chesapeake Bay Writers, a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Virginia Writers and The Bront Society of Haworth, England. He has received Keating and Golden Nib awards for his short fiction. Over the years, his 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' eight newspapers in New Jersey. Visit him at tim-holland.com.

Teresa Inge grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Short Mystery Fiction Society, Virginia Writer’s Club, and Hampton Roads Writers. Teresa is an author in over a dozen anthologies and novellas including Virginia is for Mysteries series, Mutt Mysteries series, Coastal Crimes series, and Promophobia, an Agatha award-winning collection. By day, Teresa works for a global financial firm as an assistant, corporate reporter, and a notary administrator. When not working or writing she can be found showing her 1955 Torch Red Thunderbird at car shows. Teresa can be reach on all social media and her website teresainge.com.

An award winning short story author and fantasy writer, Jacqueline T. Johnson has enjoyed advancing her writing career by garnishing several best book award nominations and premier finalist. Her writing has received five-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads for fantasy series. Visit her website, jt-johnson.com.