Love is Murder (57 page)

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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES

LORI ARMSTRONG
left the firearms industry in 2000. The first book in her Julie Collins series,
Blood Ties,
was nominated for a 2006 Shamus Award for Best First Novel.
Hallowed
Ground
received a 2007 Shamus Award nomination and won the 2007 WILLA Cather Literary Award.
Shallow Grave
was nominated for a 2008 High Plains Book Award and finaled for the 2008 WILLA Cather Literary Award.
Snow Blind
won the 2009 Shamus Award for Best Paperback Original. The first book in the Mercy Gunderson series,
No Mercy,
won the 2011 Shamus Award for Best Hardcover Novel and was a finalist for the WILLA Cather Literary Award.
Mercy Kill
released in January 2011.
Dark Mercy
will release in 2013. Lori serves on the Board of Directors of Mystery Writers of America and lives in Rapid City, South Dakota.

JEFF AYERS
is the author of the bestselling
Voyages of Imagination: The
Star Trek Fiction Companion.
He reviews for the
Associated Press, Library Journal, Booklist
and
RT Book Reviews
. He has interviewed authors for such publications as
Writer
Magazine, the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
,
Author
Magazine and
The Big Thrill
. Jeff lives near Seattle, Washington.

A born romantic,
BEVERLY BARTON
fell in love with
The Beauty and the Beast
epic at an early age, when her grandfather bought her an illustrated copy of the famous fairy tale. Before she learned to read and write, Beverly’s vivid imagination created magical worlds and fabulous characters inside her mind.

Movies fascinated Beverly, and by the time she was seven she was rewriting the movies she saw on television and at the local theater to give them all happy endings. By the age of nine she’d penned her first novel. She wrote short stories, TV scripts, poetry and novels throughout high school and into college.

After her marriage and the births of her children, Beverly continued to be a voracious reader and a devoted moviegoer, but she put her writing aspirations on hold until her children were teenagers.

When Beverly rediscovered an old dream of becoming a published writer, no one was more supportive of her aspirations than her family. After writing over seventy books, receiving numerous awards and becoming a
New York Times
bestselling author, Beverly’s career became her dream come true.

WILLIAM BERNHARDT
is the nationally bestselling author of twenty-five novels, including the world-renowned Ben Kincaid series of mystery-thrillers—
Primary Justice,
Capitol Betrayal
.
Library Journal
dubbed him the “master of the courtroom thriller.” Other Bernhardt novels include
Nemesis: The Final Case of Eliot Ness, Double Jeopardy,
and the critically acclaimed
Dark Eye
. He has received the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State University) the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania), and the Southern Writer’s Guild’s Gold Medal Award. In addition to his novels, he has edited two anthologies as fundraisers for charitable causes, written two books for children, published essays, short stories and poems, constructed crossword puzzles for the
New York Times,
and written the book, music and lyrics for a musical. He is also one of the nation’s most in-demand writing instructors. His renowned small group writing seminars have produced several bestselling authors over the past decade. His instructional DVDs,
The Fundamentals of Fiction
, are used by writing programs across the nation. You can learn more about him at www.williambernhardt.com, or you can email him at
[email protected]
.

ALLISON BRENNAN
is the
New York Times
and
USA TODAY
bestselling and award-winning author of eighteen romantic thrillers and numerous short stories.
RT Book Reviews
calls Allison “a master of suspense” and her books “haunting,” “mesmerizing,” “pulse-pounding” and “emotionally complex.” Lee Child called the first Lucy Kincaid book “a world-class nail-biter,” and Lisa Gardner says, “Brennan knows how to deliver.”

Allison lives on two acres outside Sacramento, California, with her husband Dan, their five children and assorted animals. She’s often said she has no life outside of writing and kids—though she takes her research seriously by role-playing in SWAT training exercises, practicing at the gun range, and hanging out at the morgue. The fourth book in the Lucy Kincaid series,
Silenced,
was released by Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press on April 24, 2012 and will be followed by
Stalked
in the fall. Find her online at
www.allisonbrennan.com
.

ROBERT BROWNE
is an award-winning screenwriter and ITW Thriller Award–nominated author of five critically acclaimed thrillers. His first novel,
Kiss Her Goodbye,
was filmed as a pilot for a CBS television series and his latest,
The Paradise Prophecy,
is in development with Temple Hill Productions. Rob lives in California with his wife, two cats and a dog, and is always at work on the next book…

Inspired by a U.S. tissue harvesting case,
PAMELA CALLOW
wrote
Damaged
(June 2010), the first installment of her legal thriller series for MIRA Books. Pamela drew on her experience working in a blue-chip corporate environment to create series lead Kate Lange, a struggling thirtysomething lawyer, whom
RT Book Reviews
hailed as, “…a standout character.”
Damaged
was chosen by Levy Home Entertainment as a June “Need to Read” Pick, with Top Ten Bestseller placement in Target and Walmart.

Indefensible
(MIRA, January 2011), the second book of the Kate Lange thriller series, was described by
Omnimystery Reviews
as, “…a superbly plotted and suspenseful novel with a…riveting, dynamic storyline.”
Tattooed,
the series’ third installment, will be published in 2012.

Prior to making writing a career, Pamela worked as a strategy consultant for international firm Andersen Consulting. She is a member of the Nova Scotia Bar, and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration.

Pamela lives in Nova Scotia, along with her husband, two children and a pug. She loves to go for walks (unlike her dog), drink coffee, and is currently working on the next installment of the Kate Lange thriller series. Visit her at www.pamelacallow.com or at
www.facebook.com/PamelaCallowAuthor
.

Previously a television director, union organizer, theater technician and law student,
LEE CHILD
was fired and on the dole when he hatched a harebrained scheme to write a bestselling novel, thus saving his family from ruin.
Killing Floor
went on to win worldwide acclaim. The hero of his series, Jack Reacher, besides being fictional, is a kindhearted soul who allows Lee lots of spare time for reading, listening to music, the Yankees and Aston Villa. Visit him online at
www.leechild.com
.

J. T. ELLISON
is the international award-winning author of seven critically acclaimed novels, multiple short stories and has been published in over twenty countries. A former White House staffer, she has worked extensively with the Metro Nashville Police, the FBI and various other law enforcement organizations to research her novels. She lives in Nashville with her husband and a poorly trained cat, and is hard at work on her next novel. Visit www.JTEllison.com for more insight into her wicked imagination, or follow her on
Twitter@Thrillerchick
.

BILL FLOYD
lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with his wife, Amy, and his dog, Max. His first published novel,
The Killer’s Wife,
won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2009. Floyd can often be found in dark music clubs listening to a variety of underground bands. His taste in fiction runs the gamut from literary to genre, with no apologies for either. He is currently working on a novel about secrets and the costs of keeping them. A sampling of his flash fiction can be found at www.billfloydbooks.com.

New York Times, Publishers Weekly
and
USA TODAY
Bestseller
CINDY GERARD
cut her teeth on the works of Iris Johansan, Tammy Hoag and, of course, Sandra Brown, all of whom wrote romantic fiction before branching into the world of suspense. Cindy also wrote award-winning category romance novels for Bantam, Doubleday, Dell and later for Harlequin Books before coming to the realization that she had bigger, bolder, grittier stories to tell. Her fast-paced, action-packed Bodyguard and Black Ops., Inc. (BOI) series featuring covert paramilitary heroes, quickly became much loved among romantic suspense readers. Cindy’s short story, “Dying to Score,” showcases BOI fan favorites Johnny Duane Reed and Crystal “Tinkerbelle” Debrowski.

Cindy is a six-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist and is proud to display two RITAs in her office. She considers herself fortunate to count many military families as both readers and friends. Cindy makes her home in Iowa with her husband, Tom, their Brittany Spaniel, Margaret, and their cats, Buddy and Sly. You can find all of Cindy’s books at
www.cindygerard.com
.

HEATHER GRAHAM
is the
New York Times
and
USA TODAY
bestselling author of over a hundred novels including suspense, paranormal, historical and mainstream Christmas fare. She lives in Miami, Florida, her home, and an easy shot down to the Keys where she can indulge in her passion for diving. Travel, research and ballroom dancing also help keep her sane; she is the mother of five, and also resides with two dogs, a cat and an albino skunk. She is CEO of Slush Pile Productions, a recording company and production house for various charity events. Look her up at www.theoriginalheathergraham.com,
www.writersforneworleans.com
or
www.eheathergraham.com
.

New York Times
bestselling author
LAURA GRIFFIN
started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense. Her books have won numerous awards, including a 2010 RITA (
Whisper of Warning
) and a 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award (
Untraceable
). Her debut novel,
One Last Breath,
won the Booksellers Best Award for romantic suspense. Laura currently lives in Austin where she is working on the next book in her popular Tracers series. Visit her at
www.lauragriffin.com
or
www.facebook.com/LauraGriffinAuthor
.

VICKI HINZE
is an award-winning author of twenty-five novels, four nonfiction books and hundreds of articles published in as many as sixty-three countries. She’s recognized by
Who’s Who in America
and in the world as an author and an educator. Her first published novel, a romantic suspense, was a bestseller that sold in nearly a dozen foreign countries. Since then, she’s shifted writing focus several times. After cocreating the first single-title open-ended continuity series, she turned to military life and has been credited with a Career Achievement Award for being one of the first to write military romantic suspense, military romantic intrigue and military romantic thrillers. Three years ago, she shifted her focus to Christian fiction, blending romantic thrillers with spiritual elements. Her willingness to take risks and blaze trails has won her many prestigious nominations and awards, though she does it because she loves the adventure of stretching boundaries. Learn more about Vicki at www.vickihinze.com and visit her Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/Vicki.Hinze.Author
.

ANDREA KANE’S
psychological thriller
The Girl Who Disappeared Twice
became an instant
New York Times
bestseller, the latest in a long string of smash hits. It introduced Forensic Instincts, an eclectic team of maverick investigators, each with different personalities and talents, all with one common bond: a blatant disregard for authority.
The Line Between Here and Gone
is the next exhilarating installment in the Forensic Instincts series. Armed with skills and talents honed by years in the FBI and Special Forces, and training in behavioral and forensic psychology, the team solves seemingly impossible cases while walking a fine line between assisting and enraging law enforcement.

With a worldwide following and novels published in over twenty languages, Kane is also the author of eight romantic thrillers and fourteen historical romances. She lives in New Jersey with her family, where she is plotting new ways for Forensic Instincts to challenge the status quo.

Praised by
Publishers Weekly
as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” bestselling author
JULIE KENNER’S
books have hit lists as v
aried as
USA TODAY,
Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and
Locus
Magazine. Julie is also a two-time RITA finalist, the winner of Romantic Times’ Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, the winner of the Reviewers International Organization’s Award for best romantic suspense of 2004 and best paranormal of 2005, and the winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award for best mainstream book of 2005. She writes a range of stories including urban fantasy, paranormal romance and paranormal mommy lit, including the popular Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series, currently in for development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures. Julie also writes the Shadow Keepers series of dark, edgy paranormal romantic suspense as J. K. Beck. Julie lives in central Texas with her husband, two daughters and several cats.