Contributors

Patricia Abbott has published short stories in crime fiction outlets such as Hardluck Stories, The Thrilling Detective, Spinetingler, Demolition, Murdaland, Pulp Pusher and Thuglit. She lives and works in Detroit, Michigan where she is finishing her first novel.

Marian Allen writes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, humor, horror, mainstream, and anything else she can wrestle into fixed form. Allen has had stories in anthologies, on-line and print publications, including Oceans of the Mind and Canada's On Spec, on coffee cans and the wall of an Indian restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. She writes a daily food history column for Worldwide Recipes.com, The Best Darned Recipezine in the Whole Darned Universe.

Nick Andreychuk is a Derringer Award-winning author. His stories can be found in Bullet, “By the Chimney with Care", Crimestalker Casebook, “Fedora I” and “III”, Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, Hardbroiled, Shred of Evidence, Techno-Noir, and Who Died in There?, among many other publications. Nick's work can also be found in “Bullet Points”, an upcoming anthology of short-short crime fiction that he co-edited. Readers can contact him at nickandreychuk@hotmail.com.

Sophie Bachard was born and bred in South London, UK, where she was raised as a feral child by stray dogs on a council housing estate. After losing the entire manuscript of her ten million word epic autobiography at sea, she now writes short fiction to stay sane.

Barry Baldwin was born (1937) and educated in England. Armed with Classics degrees from Nottingham University, he emigrated, first (1962) to Australia, thence (1965) to Canada where he is now Emeritus Professor of Classics, University of Calgary, and Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada. After 12 books and some 600 articles on Greece, Rome, Byzantium, 18th-Century England, and Albania (an exotic interest), he has re-invented himself as a freelance writer of magazine/newspaper columns and (so far) around 30 short stories. Has been a Finalist in the Crime Writers' of Canada (1999) and Antony (Bouchercon, USA) Awards, also a listed Finalist for the Raymond Carver Contest (twice) and the Fish International Publishing Contest (Ireland).

Guy Belleranti writes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, puzzles and humor for both adults and children from his home in southern Arizona. A few of the places his work has appeared include Woman’s World, The Eternal Night, Futures Mysterious Anthology and the LA Times Kids’ Reading Room. A number of his short stories are also available at Fictionwise.com. His homepage on the web is: http://www.authorsden.com/guybelleranti

Jillian Berg is a newly published author who combines her passion for writing with her life experiences in southern Louisiana law enforcement. Although most of her stories are not based on true cases, they are "true to life." Her creativity is inspired by her mentor, friend, and soul mate who has always encouraged and supported her work. Without him, her short stories may have remained as nothing more than a lost file on her lap top.

Danny B. Bourg is the author of "Poems of Life", a book that features over a hundred of his earliest poems. His work has appeared on Poetry.com and in a hardbound collection by multiple poets. Some of his most heartfelt work is posted on the Officer Down Memorial Page. He has written numerous songs and is awaiting the publication of four additional collections of his poems.

Brookins is the author of three sailing adventure novels featuring Michael Tanner and Mary Whitney, the latest titled OLD SILVER. He also writes a detective series about a short P.I. named Sean Sean. The current novel in that series is called THE CASE OF THE GREEDY LAWYERS. He lives and writes in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Kimberly Brown is the flash fiction editor for Apollo's Lyre. Her short stories have appeared in many places, including Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, Dreams of Decadence Vampire Fiction and Poetry, Espresso Fiction, Orchard Press, Flashshot, and in "Seven Deadly Tales of the Seven Deadly Sins" anthology. She has a mystery story upcoming in Silver Moon Ezine. Her day job is writing for The Northeast Georgian newspaper. She also writes a bi-monthly writing markets list for Georgia Writers. The markets archive can be found at www.kimberlybrown.net. She owes everything that she has accomplished to her wonderful husband, Ed.

Warren Bull is author of Abraham Lincoln for the Defense (PublishAmerica, 2003.) He has short stories in the anthologies Manhattan Mysteries (KS Publishing Inc. 2005) and Grab Your tiger (Keen Publications, 2007.) He has also published in Amazon Shorts, Great Mystery and Suspense Magazine, Mysterical-E, Crimeandsuspense.com, Kansas City Voices, and DowngoSun.

Madeleine is a retired management consultant who now writes full time. In her business life, she worked on the investigation of the mysterious infant deaths at Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto, which sparked a life-long interest in crime. She is an award-winning mystery short story writer and a longstanding member of Crime Writers of Canada. Her stories have appeared in both print and electronic media. When not acting as ‘helper monkeys’ on their film-maker daughter’s movie sets, she and her husband share their Victorian home with two cats.

My parents always taught me not to lie, saying it would get me in trouble. I guess it didn't take. Here I am, retired from honest work, spending my time making up stories. I've yet to see how much trouble they'll cause.

Keri Clark has been published by Orchard Press Mysteries and Mystery Time, with more stories appearing soon in Mysterical-E and Flashshot. She belongs to Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. When not writing about mayhem and murder, she works in the cutthroat world of advertising.

Herschel Cozine has published extensively in the children’s field. His stories and poems have appeared in many of the national children’s magazines. Work by Herschel has also appeared in Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazines and Woman’s World. Additionally, he has had many stories appear in Orchard Press Mysteries, as well as Shots, HandHeldCrime, Great Mystery and Suspense, and others. Retired from a career in electronics, he has resumed his writing career after an extended hiatus. Herschel lives with his wife, Sue, in Santa Rosa, California, close to his children and grandchildren.

Winona B. Cross is relatively new to writing. She has had a flash article published in GRIT Magazine and three nostalgic articles published in the local newspaper. As a student at Long Ridge Writers Group, Winona earned an honorable mention in the Spring Anthology for a flash fiction story titled "In the Beginning." Winona is a member of the Bayou Writers Group of Lake Charles, La., Crime and Suspense, Short Mystery Fiction Magazine and Long Ridge Writers Group.

Rebecca del Rio is a freelance writer and sometimes court investigator (for a paycheck.) Married, with two grown daughters and three grandchildren, she lives alternately in Northern California and Catalunya, Spain. She is, most recently, published in "The Loop", a San Francisco based print literary journal, AguaTerra, the 2006 fall print literary journal of Ascent Aspirations and "The Bohemian," a San Francisco North Bay weekly newspaper. (Photo by Numa Marlborough)

More than thirty Bo Fexler stories have appeared in places like Yellow Mama, Crime and Suspense, Muzzle Flash, Out of the Gutter, and soon in Mouth Full of Bullets. Visit www.bofexler.blogspot.com for links to those stories and more.

Sam Douglas is a former military man who served in Air Force Intelligence all over the world including several combat and Cold War stations. He is now a freelance writer living in the southern US with his wife of over 40 years. His work has appeared in print publications such as Short Stuff, Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, Bibliophilos, and The Rocking Chair Reader and online in Espresso Fiction, Cyber Oasis, Monthly Short Stories, and Reflection's Edge, among others.

James S. Dorr's new short fiction and poetry collection, DARKER LOVES: TALES OF MYSTERY AND REGRET, is due out from Dark Regions Press as a companion to his current collection, STRANGE MISTRESSES: TALES OF WONDER AND ROMANCE. An Indiana resident, Dorr is a member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association and a multi-time Rhysling finalist as well as member of SMFS, an Anthony and Darrell (fiction set in the US Mid-South) finalist, winner of Best of the Web 1998, a Pushcart Prize nominee, and is currently keeper of a gray and black cat named Wednesday (after Wednesday Addams of THE ADDAMS FAMILY and whose favorite toy is a plastic fake spider!).

Katt Dunsmore is a writer and book illustrator. Her stories appear in Crime and Suspense Magazine, Flashing in the Gutters, Flashshots, and Silver Moon Magazine. Katt is also an illustrator for Koboca Publishing. Her long list of current projects includes “The EX-Factor,” an anthology written with a group of talented writers, to be released Friday, October 13th, 2006, by Koboca Publishing.

Peggy Ehrhart is a former English professor who lives in Leonia, New Jersey, where she writes mysteries and plays blues guitar. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She holds a doctorate in Medieval Literature, and her publications include a prize-winning nonfiction book. She has also won awards for her fiction, including first prize in the FMAM 2005 Flash Fiction contest. Her stories have appeared in FMAM, a few anthologies, and several ezines. As a guitar player, she has performed with numerous bands in the New York City area. Her blues mystery, SWEET MAN IS GONE, will appear in 2008 from Five Star. Visit her website at www.PeggyEhrhart.com.

When not wandering the streets in a bathrobe muttering conspiracy theories, Kevin R. Einarson finds time to work as a computer programmer, a volunteer firefighter and the eccentric publisher of Spinetingler Magazine. Since hearing about the Da Vinci Code, he has spent hours in Da Vinci's Pizza trying to find hidden truths within the lists of toppings.

JT Ellison is a thriller writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. A graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman's College and The George Washington University, Ellison had a career in politics before turning to crime fiction full time. Her short stories have appeared in Demolition Magazine, Flashing in the Gutters, and Spinetingler Magazine. She blogs at www.Murderati.com and is a founding member of Killer Year, an organization promoting the best debut novelists of 2007. Her first novel, ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, will be published by Mira Books in November, 2007, with subsequent novels coming in May 2008 and November 2008.

Barry Ergang is Managing Editor of Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine (www.fmam.biz) and an assistant editor for Mysterical-E (www.mystericale.com/). His fiction, poetry, and non-fiction have appeared in numerous publications, print and electronic. http://www.geocities.com/b_ergang/Home.html

Gail Farrelly is the author of articles on financial reporting issues, dividend policy, and investment risk in journals such as Accounting Review, Business and Society, Financial Analysts Journal, and Financial Management. She also writes mystery novels, articles about the mystery field, and Op-Eds. Her current hobby is publishing satire pieces on a British website, www.TheSpoof.com. In Gail's first mystery book, "Beaned in Boston" (named to the 1997 Washington Irving Book Selection list), a lecherous finance professor perishes, in spite of the fact that he is well published. The sequel, "Duped by Derivatives," finds a professor on sabbatical dealing with mayhem and murder in a Manhattan investment firm. According to Romantic Times, "Unique characters, a romance or two, and an interesting crime make DUPED a really fun read!" A graduation speaker steps up to the podium and promptly drops dead in the first chapter of Gail's latest book, "Creamed at Commencement."

Ralph Filicchia is the author of seven paperback books and over 200 short stories and articles.

John Floyd's publishing credits include The Strand, Woman's World, Murderous Intent, AHMM, and EQMM. One of his stories recently won the 2007 Derringer Award, and two others are being adapted for upcoming films. A collection of John's short fiction, Rainbow's End, was released in 2006.

Award-winning author Dorothy Francis writes short stories and novels for children and adults from her home studios in Iowa and the Florida Keys. In 1999, “When in Rome” won a Derringer award from Short Mystery Fiction Society. Two of her children’s novels won “Best Children’s Book of Their Year” awards from the Florida State Historical Society. Five Star Publishing will release her third adult mystery, "Cold Case Killer", in 2007. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators.

Sara Hoskinson Frommer, author of Death Climbs a Tree, Witness in Bishop Hill, The Vanishing Violinist, Murder & Sullivan, Buried in Quilts, and Murder in C Major, lives in Bloomington, Indiana with her husband, Gabe, a retired professor of psychology at Indiana University. They have two adult sons, Charles and Joe. With friends, the Frommers own woods in beautiful Owen County, Indiana, but it was local coverage of tree sits in Bloomington and in Yellowwood State Forest that suggested a tree-sitting mystery. In addition to her mystery novels, she is the author of Kaleidoscope: A Collection of Stories, 16 very short, easy-to-read books of fiction for adult new readers, published by Laubach Literacy International's New Readers Press. Five of them are mysteries.

Nancy Gardner started writing fiction when she retired. Though she now much prefers making up what she writes, before retirement she published a number of professional articles. Her husband also writes fiction and they’re glad they both share the crazy-making writing bug. She won an honorable mention in the NEWN (formerly New England Writers' Network) Winter 2006 Mystery/Suspense Contest for a short story called “Death by Soup.” Currently, she’s working on her first mystery novel, a cozy set in today’s Salem, Massachusetts.

Kaye George has previously had short fiction accepted at FMAM, Writers' Post Journal, Web Mystery Magazine, and HardLuckStories.com.

I directed corporate communications at Fortune 500 companies in New York for more than 30 years and contributed numerous articles to business-communication journals. Recent fiction credits include awards for short stories in Wordtrip.com’s contests (Winter 2006 and May 2005) and as a finalist in Lunch Hour Stories’ contest (August 2006), while Wild Child Publishing has carried two short stories (Sept. 2006 and Nov. 2005). Articles and commentary have appeared in The Copperfield Review (Jan. 2005); Military History Online (Sept. 2006, Jan. 2005 and May 2004), Good Old Days magazine (Oct. 2004), and a guest feature in Whim’s Place (July 1, 2004).

Gilman is a cop that writes crime fiction. His stories have appeared in a variety of internet crime magazines including Thuglit, Demolition, Orchard Press Mysteries and Blazing Adventures Magazine. His flash fiction is featured at Muzzle Flash and MFOB. He has work coming to the second edition of Out of the Gutter Magazine and Issue #3 of The PulpPusher. His first novel is right around the block.

Beth Groundwater's first forays into fiction writing were her adventure stories about a boy named Freddie stories written in fifth and sixth grade. As an adult, she has published seven short stories and her first mystery novel, A Real Basket Case, will be released by Five Star Publishing in March, 2007. It is already garnering good reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and other publications. Beth has loved to read since she was a child and reads at least two novels a month. She savors those monthly meetings with her Book Club, and not just for the gossip and wine! Visit her website at bethgroundwater.com and her blog at www.bethgroundwater.blogspot.com.

Vaughn C. Hardacker has been writing since he was in grammar school. His work has appeared in several magazines and his novel, The War Within, was runner-up in a major literary contest in 1989. "It's My Job" is dedicated to his wife of 35 years, Connie, who was his biggest fan. While driving to Chicago to bring his daughter to New England after an abusive marriage she told him what a wonderful thing he was doing. He said, “I’m her father. It’s my job.” Connie said, “Sounds like a story to me.” Vaughn has dedicated this story to his wife.

Jack is a former small-town newspaper writer, and a retired Navy/USMC corpsman, electronics instructor, and technical writer. He lives in the mountains of West Virginia amid priceless treasures--his terrific wife of 31 years, his wonderful 15-year-old daughter, and a loveable though mentally challenged 4-year-old Lab.

I am a former advertising copywriter turned stay at home dad. I have taken advantage of being home to do what I've always wanted to do...write mysteries.

Patricia Harrington's mysteries includes a series featuring amateur sleuth Bridget O'Hern in Death Stalks the Khmer, and Death Comes Too Soon. Her short fiction also has appeared in Murder by Six, The EX-Factor, Justified Endings for Bad Exes, Flashshot, Years One and Two, and Mystery in Mind. She also has published stories with a trio of middle-grade sleuths known as the The Stanley Street Irregulars, and she has a beginning readers e-book with the dynamic duo of Fat Cat and Gray Mouse. She won the Short Mystery Fiction Society's 2006 Derringer for her flash mystery "Secondhand Shoe."

Mary Lou Healy has been published for more years than she likes to admit, and she doesn't plan to stop writing any time soon. Her columns have appeared in the Boston Herald, Boston Globe, Providence Journal and many other metropolitan newspapers and magazines. Her poetry is often featured in the Christian Science Monitor, where she'll have a humor essay up on May 7. She is also the author of "Gingerbread Man".

Gary R. Hoffman taught English and Speech/Drama for 22 years in Missouri and California. He quit teaching over 20 years ago to go into business for himself. He now lives in a motor home and says, “Home is where you park it!” He now travels the North American Continent, with Sandy and their cat, Callie, and attempts to stay in moderate climates. He has had many short stories published in anthologies, ezines, and magazines. He has also won many awards for his short stories.

Other short stories by JMM Holloway have appeared in several online venues as well as print anthologies, the latest being Murder Across the Map. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her husband, Bob, a university professor.

I have published over 75 short stories and poems in various print and online publications including Flesh & Blood, AlienSkin, Dark Krypt, and Decompositions. I am a founding member and past vice-president and secretary of the Garden State Horror Writers, an organization of writers of all genres based in Manalapan, N.J., and am editor of a print anthology published by that group titled Dark Notes From NJ (2005). I am also author of a joke book, Purring Elephants and Killer Coconuts, available now from Renaissance Books.

Robert L. Iles is the author of two previous fiction works about the mythical Cass County Ohio Sheriff's Department, the 1999 novel Dead Wrong and the 2001 short novel The Ten Spot Murders in the Eppie Award winning anthology Blood, Threat and Fears. He is also the author of a short story collection featuring 1950s Manhattan private investigator Peter B. Bruck, The Burning Woman, and a Lake Ozark Theater Guild first-prize winning play, "All's Swell."

Branch Isole, a poet and author, writes about issues and emotions surrounding personal responsibility choice and avoidance. Known in Hawaii as the ‘voyeuristic poet’ his style and presentation is more a whisper than a shout, directed at the mind as well as the senses. www.manaopublishing.com

SF Johnston was President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society from July 2006 to July 2008. He has published works in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Mouth Full Of Bullets, Amsterdam Scriptum, Web Mystery Magazine, and the short story anthology Doses of Death. His story Jimmy Crick recently won both the First Place Prize and the Reader's Choice Award in the Midnight Road Contest. Although originally Canadian, SF lives with his wife and two children near Amsterdam in the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.sfjohnston.com.

Penelope Karageorge

New Yorker Penelope Karageorge is the author of a crime novel, “Murder at Tomorrow” (Walker Publishing) and “Stolen Moments” (Pinnacle Books), a satirical romance/mystery and roman a clef set in the magazine world, published in England as “Winners” and Germany as “New York.” Her feature-length mystery film script, “The Neon Jungle,” placed 7^th out of more than 3,000 entries in the prestigious Final Draft Big Break screen-writing competition. She has written and produced short films including the ten-minute thriller, “Fat Tuesday.” Born in Newburgh, NY, she is a graduate of Simmons College, Boston, Mass. and earned an MA from CUNY. A freelance journalist, she began her career as a “Newsweek” reporter interviewing luminaries including Bette Davis and Frank Sinatra. An award-winning poet, she is the author of a collection, “Red Lipstick and the Wine-Dark Sea.” Penelope is currently at work on a new crime novel, “The Hype Artist,” set in the giddy PR/show biz world.

Wanda C. Keesey Wanda Keesey lives in small town USA with her husband and cats. Located near the Pennsylvania capital of Harrisburg. Since retiring she is concentrating on her Civil War era novels, but still finds time to flesh out a short story now and then. She started writing late in life and this is only her second published work. Her short story Peanuts was published on MysteryFiction.com and can now be viewed on Wanda's website (http://www.wandakeesey.com). She is a long time member, and past officer of Pennwriters, Inc. (www.pennwriters.org) a group dedicated to helping writers hone their skills.

Carol Kilgore’s short crime fiction stories have been published online, in print, and included in anthologies. “Just a Man on the Sidewalk,” her first published short story, received the Derringer Award for best short-short mystery of 1999. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Learn more about Carol and her work by visiting her website--www.carolkilgore.net.

Gay Toltl Kinman has eight award nominations for her writing; several short stories published in American and English magazines; over one hundred and fifty articles; six children's books; and had four plays produced. Her young adult gothic novel, Wolf Castle and two adult mysteries Death in Covent Garden, and Death in a Small Town were just released by Hilliard and Harris. She co-edited a cookbook, and a book promotion publication for Sisters in Crime, and was on the Board of SINC / LA. She coordinated workshops for writers at California State University, San Bernardino; and is a scholar for the Library of Congress / UCLA "Women of Mystery" discussion groups. Kinman has a library degree and a law degree.

Jean Lauzier is co-founder of StoryCrafters.net, an online group for writers and also teaches writing workshops there. She has been published by Silver Moon Magazine, Long Story Short and Inspired Moms to name a few. Her short story Secret Santa also appears in the By the Chimney with Care Christmas anthology. Jean is a Long Ridge Writer's Group graduate and student along with a writing instructor for the Long Story Short School of Writing.

BV Lawson received a Master’s Literary Award from Center Press, and recently received an honorable mention in a contest for Mysterical-E and is a finalist for the 2007 Deadly Ink contest. She also has an upcoming story slated for publication in "Great Mystery and Suspense." In addition, She's written two articles for "Mystery Readers Journal" and penned public radio and commercial television feature scripts and articles for "The Washington Times" and special-interest magazines. She's currently working on a mystery series, including short stories, novellas, and novels, as well as general fiction. Her web site is www.bvlawson.com.

Philip J. Lees is a British writer who now lives in Greece on the island of Crete, birthplace of Zeus and source of many myths and legends. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of print and electronic publications, while his story "Lucretia's Nose" won him a trip to Hollywood and a place in the 2001 Writers of the Future awards. His mystery stories have been featured in Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine and Mysterical-E. Philip has written two novels (so far unpublished) and is currently working on a third. His personal web pages may be found at http://www.philiplees.com.

J. R. Lindermuth lives and writes in central Pennsylvania. A retired newspaper editor/writer, he is librarian of his county historical society where he assists people with research and genealogy. Whiskey Creek Press (www.whiskeycreekpress.com) published his mystery novel “Something in Common” in June 2006 and will publish “Cruel Cuts,” a second novel featuring the same characters, in November 2007. He is the author of two other novels and has published in a variety of magazines, both print and on-line.

Lisa Logan is the author of VISIONS, a romantic mystery released January 2007, and has two other books currently under consideration. An award-winning short story writer, her work has been featured in publications like FUTURES and EXPLORE! magazines, CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE RECOVERING SOUL, and MISADVENTURES OF MOMS. Lisa is also editor of MysteryAuthors.com, an author promotion site and flash webzine. She lives in Southern California with her husband and preschooler.

Amy has always had a passion for art and has recently discovered another artistic talent. It was only in June of this year that she picked up a pen and wrote her first piece of poetry. She has since had works, art and poetry, published in various magazines and online journals, some such as SHINE, Eclecticzine and Contemporary Rhyme. She is currently working on putting together a book to share her talents with those who share her passion.

Molly MacRae spent twenty years in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Upper East Tennessee. She was the curator of the history museum in Jonesborugh, Tennessee’s oldest town, and later managed The Book Place, an independent bookstore; may it rest in peace. Her stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mysterical-E, and Hardluck Stories. She is a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Her first novel, Wilder Rumors, was published by Five Star Mysteries in May 2007. “Cookies,” a story co-written with S.F. Johnston, will appear in the June 2008 issue of Hitchcock. MacRae is vice president of the Short Mystery Fiction Society and a member of Mystery Writers of America. These days, MacRae lives with her family in Champaign, Illinois, where she pushes books on children at the public library.

Jill Maser is an award-winning author of novels, short stories and flash fiction. The Jersey Devil remains one of her favorite sources of inspiration for both fiction and non-fiction being as he lives just a few miles over in the next county. Please visit her website www.jillmaser.com for information about her published work and current projects.

Tim Matson lives with his wife Susan, and their two miniature schnauzers Asta and Archie, in a suburb of St. Paul, MN. When he isn’t toiling away at his day job, Tim spoils his wife and dogs mercilessly, and finds time to write when they take naps on the couch. His stories have been accepted at Mysterical-E and Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine. He is currently working on his second novel.

"I won first prize in the 2005 New Mexico Discovery Awards and Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest Genre Short Story competition. My story "Dead Man Ringing" was a finalist in the 2004 Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story contest. In addition to Mysterical-E, I have been published in Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine. I live and write in Santa Fe."

Originally from NYC, Allen lives, writes, acts and directs theatre in Mexico. His published fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays, photos, etc., have won awards and appeared in: NY Times, The Writer, Newsday, Literary Potpourri, Poetry Midwest, QLRS, Herons Nest, Frogpond, Modern Haiku, World Haiku Review, many others. He is a former member of PEN. He was an invited guest at the First World Poetry Festival in Taiwan 2005, haibun editor for Simply Haiku, and two of his plays have been professionally produced in Sacramento and L.A. His first book -- SUNSEEKERS, a selection of haiku and haibun by Allen McGill -- is being published this Fall by Golden Swamp Warbler Press.

Crime writer living in New York from Galway, Ireland. Previously published in Plots With Guns, Hardluck Stories, ThugLit and forthcoming in Demolition. Extensive submissions to Flashing in the Gutters.

Steven M. Messner received his bachelor's degree in English from West Virginia University in 1994. In 2002 he graduated from Johns Hopkins with a Masters degree in fiction writing. He was most recently published on Thuglit.com (1/07) and in the anthology Kiss the Sky (3/07).

K. L. Miller is a freelance writer living in Roswell, NM with his wife and five kids--at last count. He served four years in the United States Marine Corps, after which he went home to Idaho to pursue a career in Law enforcement. He currently serves as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent teaching Driving Techniques at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM. Fantasy fiction and mysteries are his greatest literary interests and he is plugging away at a first fantasy novel. Hard as Nails represents his first forray into writing a mystery.

Mary is a criminal lawyer and soccer mom in Texas. She writes bloodthirsty stories for adults and sweeter ones for children. Occasionally she writes bloodthirsty ones for the kids as well. Tomorrow's mystery readers have to start somewhere! You can read Mary's story "The Devil You Know" in the March edition of Coyote Wild (coyotewildmag.com).

The author is a member of MWA, SMFS and Mensa. He has been a Marine, an account executive, a chicken farmer, a home builder and an actor while trying to be a writer. He has published investigative feature articles in several regional magazines and newspapers and has self published three novels. "Blackberries Got No Thorns", "The Voodoo Vortex" and "Luci". He has published short stories in Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, MystericalE, Long Story Short, Crime & Suspense, Apollo's Lyre, Chilling Mysteries, Sooner's Ezine and Hands On Electronics. He is currently working on more short stories and is peddling his sixth novel. He resides with his silver haired lady in Memphis, TN.

Michael Morris attended East Texas State University (now Texas A&M in Commerce) where he earned a B.A. in 1985 and an M.A. in 1995. His most recent publications include poems in Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Lynx Eye, The Concho River Review, Illya's Honey, and stories in Dogwood Tales Magazine and The GW Review. His most recent online poetry publications include pieces in Liberty Hill Poetry Review, The Mid-South Review, Chronogram, Contemporary Rhyme, and Haruah. Poems and stories are forthcoming in Glassfire Magazine, Subtle Tea, and T-Zone. He has worked as a secretary, technical writer, janitor, and tutor. He teaches English at Eastfield College, and lives with his wife and children just outside the Dallas area.

Mark Murphy's stories have appeared in Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine and on Mysterical-E. He has a blog, http://murphyscraw.blogspot.com.

Sylvia Nickels lives in Tennessee with her husband and a Chihuahua named Rosebud. Retired from the local telephone company, she is an officer in the local chapter of a national telephony retiree organization. Her fantasy and mystery stories have been published in print, Communities and Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, and such ezines as Orchard Press Mysteries, Pine Tree Mysteries, Judas, and Writers Ezine. Her first mystery novel set in East Tennessee is under consideration by a publisher and she is working on a sequel. In her spare time, she creates and maintains websites, her own and one for her writing group, http://www.loststatewritersguild.bravehost.com, and edits a newsletter for another writing group.

Kathleen O'Connor is a graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop where she was awarded a Michener fellowship. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Her short stories and articles have appeared in Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Seventeen Magazine, Woman’s World, St Anthony’s Messenger and Liguorian. Another story has been accepted for the Great Mystery and Suspense Magazine. She is the author of three novels: No Accident, described by Harriet Klausner of Best Reviews as "an exciting police procedural;” The Way it Happens in Novels, called a "romance leavened with wisdom" by Publisher's Weekly and her new book, No Doubt, called a "well-told tale" by the New Mystery Reader.

In addition to teaching, Anita Page worked as a freelance feature writer and book reviewer for a regional newspaper in upstate New York. Her short stories have appeared in Ball State University Forum, Heresies, and Jewish Horizons. She has also published articles in educational journals. She's currently seeking an agent for her first novel, a dark cozy set in the Catskill Mountains.

DH Reddall's work has appeared in a number of publications, most recently in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and in The Thrilling Detective.

Gerald Rivard is a lifelong avid reader who started writing fiction in October of 2006. He has shared some of his short stories with friends and in workshops, but is still honing his skills before unleashing his writing on the world at large. Egghead is the first story he has submitted for publication. He looks forward to many more short stories and novels, and he hopes that you do too.

Lucille P Robinson resides in Rayne, Louisiana, with her husband, Theodore, and invalid daughter, Pamela. Ms. Robinson is a retired school teacher who has been writing for twenty-five years. She's published in "Short Stories That Kill Time", a self-published anthology, UNCOMMON BONDS, the 1994 Acadiana Writing Program anthology, and Crime & Suspense Ezine. Ms. Robinson loves to read mysteries and crime stories, write, and crochet.

Over three hundred of Stephen's stories and poems have been selected to appear in more than a hundred publications. His website, www.stephendrogers.com, includes a list of new and upcoming titles as well as other timely information.

Sandra Ruttan is an editor with Spinetingler Magazine. Her first novel, Suspicious Circumstances, will be released in January, 2007. She lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband, two dogs and too many cats. Her website is www.sandraruttan.com

The author's short mysteries have appeared in Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, Mysterical-E, Mouth Full of Bullets, Detective Mystery Stories, Crime and Suspense, Great Mystery and Suspense Magazine, Crimson Dagger, Web Mystery Magazine, Silver Moon, Dana Literary Society's Online Journal, among others. He is a two-time winner of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine's "Mysterious Photo" Contest.

Mary Schenten was born and raised in Wisconsin but lived in Minnesota most of her adult life. The last 20 years she has worked in the field of employee benefits. As exciting as that is, along the way she developed an urge to write. Since her favorite genre for reading is mystery, and her favorite authors are Elizabeth George and Donald Westlake, that’s where she first turned for writing also. She was pleased to find a warm, welcoming community of mystery writers as close as her computer. She is a member of MWA, Sinc, and Muse It Up Club. Mary won first prize in the Christmas Theme Fan Contest from the Armchair Interviews website (www.armchairinterviews.com). She also won first place for her flash fiction entry in the Writers Post Journal magazine for February 2006. She’s had stories published in Northern Reader, mysterical-e, Flashshots, Coffee Cramp Ezine and FMAM.

Sandra's stories have appeared in Crime and Suspense, A Cruel World, and Flashing in the Gutters. She has two stories in the anthology The EX Factor, due out in October from Koboca Publishing.

J.E. Seymour lives and writes in southern NH and has had stories published in "Windchill: an anthology of New England Writers," Thriller UK, Shred of Evidence, A Cruel World, Shots Crime and Mystery Magazine and Mysterical-E.

The Author’s fiction and articles appear in a wide variety of print and online venues. Her short story, "Arrangements," is included in the Mystery Writers of America anthology SHOW BUSINESS IS MURDER.

Rena Sherwood has lived in both England and America. She has poems appearing in upcoming issues of T-zero, The Custer-Hawk Gazette, Scifaikuest and GlassFire. She has sold short stories to Atomjack , Story Station and New Witch. She currently writes articles for web content sites Strategic Websites, Content Gurus and Adonico.

Aubrey Skade lives in the Greater Cincinatti, Ohio area with her family and her canine companion, Storm, and feline companion, Killian. Her work has appeared in Flashing in the Gutters, and now here at Mouth Full of Bullets. She spends most of her time either reading and writing, hanging out with friends and listening to music, or surfing the net getting story ideas.

Judith Klerman Smith is a civil litigation attorney, living in Southern California and an active member of Mystery Writers of America , Sisters-in Crime/LA and Sisters in Crime National. She is also a participating member of DorothyL, SinC-IC, Crimethrutime, cozydiscussion and ShortMisteryFiction. Her first published short story "Trickery" appeared in the anthology Murder x 13. It received praise from Carolyn Hart as “superbly plotted” and from Anne Perry as containing characters she “would love to meet again.” It was reprinted in Futures Magazine. Her current work in progress is a traditional mystery novel featuring characters from "Trickery."

Kim Smith has been writing for more years than she can remember. She is currently busy trying to sell the first of a series of mysteries featuring Shannon Wallace and Dwayne Brown.

Gerald So is Fiction Editor for The Thrilling Detective Web Site. He also writes fiction, poetry, and reviews appearing in print and online. Visit his blog at http://geraldso.blogspot.com.

Jonette lives in the

Netherlands

and shares her home with a 60-kilo (gentle) giant dog and four cats. She writes literary and genre fiction as well as non-fiction, is the author of more than 250 nonfiction articles, and her flash fiction has appeared in Amoret, FUTURES, Nefarious, Flashquake, Furious Pen, Mindprints, Flash Fantastic, Flashshot, 31 Eyes, Hiss Quarterly, River Babble, Apex Digest, Mysterical-E, Crime and Suspense and other publications. Jonette is a member of SinC, Guppies and SMFS. She is the editor of Amsterdam Scriptum, an online literary journal. http://www.stabbert.com/amsterdamscriptum.htm

Earl Staggs is Editorial Consultant for Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, former President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Derringer Award winner for Best Short Mystery. His short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. His mystery novel, “Memory of a Murder,” is available from Amazon and most bookstores. He welcomes comments on his work at EarlStag@Juno.com. (Photo by Whitney Gosda)

Having retired from his first career as a hospital clinical engineering administrator, Don is well into his new career as an English teacher. He taught composition at the college level for seven years, but now teaches journalism and creative writing at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia. As a member of a local writing group, he has had the opportunity to produce more, which, through practice, invariably leads to better work. As an English teacher he has developed a better grasp of the nature of writing and loves to impart that knowledge to his students.

Jason G. Summers is a writer in Northeast Indiana. He edits the Spanish-language literary journal Soleado, online at www.soleado.org, and is hard at work on a novel.

Nancy Sweetland has sold over 90 short stories for adults along with 7 picture books for children and various short fiction and poetry for children. She's marketing two mystery novels and two historical novels for intermediate children.

Kate Thornton lives in Southern California where she works for a defense contractor and manages a household of husband, two dogs and three cats. She is retired from the US Army after 22+ years of teaching Counterintelligence. With over 60 short stories in print, she now enjoys writing short fiction in the mystery and science fiction genres. She would love to have you visit at http://www.sff.net/people/katethornton

"I was raised in a funeral home. Dad was an undertaker. Mom played the accordion. Maybe that's where it all started. A surreal Canadian childhood and somewhat checkered public education led me to a career in US network television advertising and promotion. Five years later, fleeing my Emmy Award-winning success, I moved to Hollywood to begin a screenwriting career. Thirteen years (there's that lucky number) and hundreds of tv and film scripts later, I'm finally having fun writing, working on my first mystery novel. Now if I could just get my hair back."

Known to his always changing apartment neighbors as "that weirdo who always sits outside on the porch and reads", Kevin will read just about anything except horror. Some of his short stories have appeared in print in such magazines as Lynx Eye, Show and Tell, and Starblade, among others. In his spare time when he isn't fooling with his short stories, Kevin is still plugging away at his first novel--a mystery. Kevin also likes walks on the beach, sunsets, fishing and, like any beauty contestant, longs for world peace and an end to poverty and disease everywhere. He also is annoyed that the movie vision promise of "2001: A Space Odyssey" never came about. While wanting permanent moon bases immediately, he will settle for chocolate and hold it just right so that it sorta looks like The Monolith.

Albert Tucher is a cataloger at the Newark Public Library and an ex-you-name-it: lifeguard, busboy, editor, operatic tenor. He is also the author of an unpublished series of novels about Diana Andrews.

Christine Verstraete is an award-winning journalist who can't resist making up her own fictional worlds. Her fiction has appeared in Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, Orchard Press Mysteries, Flashquake, Flashshot, and other publications. Her first young adult mystery, "Searching for a Starry Night", will be published in spring '08 by Quake (http://www.quakeme.com), a division of Echelon Press, LLC. Visit her website at http://cverstraete.com.

Sarah Wagner lives in West Virginia with her family. Her work has appeared in Twilight Times, Lyrica, and Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. For more information, please visit her site: www.freewebs.com/sarahwagner

JOHN WEAGLY has had over 25 plays produced by theaters across the country and over 50 short stories and poems published in a variety of mediums. "The Undertow of Small Town Dreams," a collection of his short stories, is available from Twilight Tales Publications. For more information about John, check out his website at www.johnweagly.com.

Robert Weibezahl's first mystery novel, THE WICKED AND THE DEAD, was published by Quiet Storm in 2005. He is also the co-author of the Agatha and Macavity nominated cookbooks, A Taste of Murder and A Second Helping of Murder. He has a short story, OBJET D'ART in the current issue of CrimeSpree magazine.

Jim J. Wilsky is an Illinois native. He is pursuing his lifelong passion for writing and storytelling, a passion that shares time with his professional and personal life. He has written over 100 short stories; including mainstream, literary, suspense, westerns and historical fictions. His work has appeared in numerous online magazines and in several print publications as well. His stories have been nominated for a Derringer Award and story South's, A Million Writers Award. Until now, most of his stories were written under the pseudonym John J. Wilson which he originally used as a buffer of sorts. Driving that was a fear of being a tremendous failure at writing he supposes, a fear that will probably never completely go away, but it also manages to motivate him at the same time. He is supported and strengthened by a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters.

Tim Wohlforth’s story “Jesus Christ Is Dead!” made the “Distinguished Mystery Stories” list in Otto Penzler’s 2005 Best American Mystery Stories. A story of his was chosen for inclusion in the Mystery Writers of America’s Death Do Us Part, edited by Harlan Coben published in August 2006 by Little Brown. Dennis McMillan has published a Crip and Henrietta story as part of his Plots With Guns anthology. The Best of Thuglit, an anthology to be published by Kensington, will include another of Wohlforth’s short mysteries. He is a Pushcart Prize Nominee and has received a Certificate of Excellence from the Dana Literary Society. Wohlforth has had seventy-four short stories accepted for publication in print magazines, ezines, and in twelve anthologies. A contemporary noir novel, No Time To Mourn, was published by Quiet Storm. He co-authored the non-fiction book, On The Edge: Political Cults Right and Left, published by M.E. Sharpe. Lee Child has called Wohlforth, “an exciting new voice.” www.timwohlforth.com

Filamena Young is a freelance writer, novelist, and full time mystery-buff. She has been reading and enjoying everything from cozies to hardboiled detective novels since she was a very young child. She runs a 'writers support group' -– a work shop with aims towards publication. She is also an active participant at Critter.org. Some of her longer pieces are available on demand at her website.

Frank Zafiro's stories have appeared in various anthologies, print magazines and eZines. Many of his stories are crime fiction and take place in the fictional setting of River City, Washington. His first book, "Under A Raging Moon" (A River City novel), was released in June 2006. In addition to writing, he enjoys his family, friends, reading and hockey.