Jeff Boarts began his writing career late in life, despite a desire to write novels since high school. Forty years later, in the spring of 2012, he published A FLASH OF MURDER, a mystery set in his hometown of Kittanning, PA. That same fall, MERRY MERRY MURDER, his second novel was published. Jeff has a degree bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he also studied history, art and business. Literature he likes to read includes, but is not limited to: historical novels and mysteries, fantasy and sword and sorcery, suspense and thrillers, as well as conventional mysteries. Jeff also enjoys movies of all types, from silent classics to modern films, (comedies, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery and suspense, historical epics, etc.). Each year for the last eight years, Jeff and his friend Eric Cook have produced a Silent Movie Night for the Kittanning community at St. John’s Lutheran Church, where silent films and shorts are shown to live musical accompaniment. Jeff is married to Carol Boarts and has two children, Jeffrey P. and Emily. He still resides and works in Kittanning.

Bill Gormley is a recently retired Georgetown University Professor of Public Policy. For 33 years, he taught courses on public policy and bureaucratic politics. Gormley’s first mystery, Too Many Bridges, set in Pittsburgh, was published by Level Best Books in August 2024. His second mystery, The Silent Trumpet, will be published in August 2025. Once a month, Gormley interviews criminologists and other social scientists about their cutting-edge research on police practices. The podcast, PROFS ON COPS, is available through Apple and Spotify. For more information: www.billgormley.com.

Carole Lynn Jones’s Melody Shore Mysteries are “We’re Getting Murdered,” “This New Job’s Murder,” “Biking into Murder,” and “All I Want for Christmas is for You to Leave Town.” Her children’s books are: “The High-Flying, Water-Skiing, Magician Named Worm” and “The Hard-Working, Dirt-Moving, Garden-Helper Named Worm.” She is a member of Sisters in Crime and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. When she isn’t writing, Carole spends her days and sometimes nights formatting legal documents for a large law firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Married to her high school sweetheart, she enjoys spending time with her family and biking the many bike trails of Western Pennsylvania. Find her online at www.carolelynnjones.com.

Melissa F. Miller is the USA Today bestselling author of more than forty mystery, suspense, and thriller novels, many of which are set in Pittsburgh. Born in Pittsburgh, she grew up in a house overlooking the Pittsburgh Zoo, where, on quiet nights, she could hear the lions’ roars. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with dual concentrations in medieval literature and creative writing poetry, worked in publishing for a while, and then returned to Pittsburgh to attend law school. After practicing law for fifteen years, she turned in her bar card to focus on her writing. Her series include the Sasha McCandless legal thrillers, the Bodhi King forensic thrillers, the Aroostine Higgins suspense novels, and the Maisy Farley mysteries, among others. In addition to Sisters in Crime, she is a member of International Thriller Writers and Novelists, Inc. When she’s not writing, you can find her tending her garden, doing yoga, or drinking coffee. Melissa currently lives outside Harrisburg with her husband, three children, and rescue cat and dog. Find her online at melissafmiller.com.

Mallika Narayanan is the author of the critically acclaimed thriller, IN THE DARK I SEE YOU. Her short stories and flash fiction have appeared in various literary magazines & print anthologies, and have been longlisted and shortlisted for several awards including the Retreat West, Best Flash Fiction Prize, the Fractured Lit Best Micro-Fiction Prize, The Strands International Prize, and the Bath Flash FictionAward. Her flash fiction, Briefly, We Saw Each Other was the runner-up in the Retreat West Quarterly Flash fiction.​ She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband.

Martha Reed is a multi-award-winning crime fiction author. Her story, “The Honor Thief,” was included in This Time For Sure, the Anthony Award-winning Bouchercon 2021 anthology. Her first Crescent City NOLA Mystery, Love Power won a 2021 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award and features Gigi Pascoe, a transgender sleuth. Up Jumped the Devil (#2) and The Seven Gates of Guinee (#3) continued the NOLA adventure. Martha is also the author of the Independent Publisher IPPY Book Award-winning John and Sarah Jarad Nantucket Mystery series. Her short stories and articles have appeared in Pearl, Suspense Magazine, Spinetingler, Mystery Readers Journal, Kings River Life Magazine, Mysterical-e, Frontier Tales, and in two Sisters in Crime anthologies. Lucky Charms - 12 Crime Tales and Paradise is Deadly - Gripping Tales from Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime.

Carol Silvis is a teacher and the author of several college textbooks and business books. Her publications include an article in the 2012 Writers Market, a dozen creative non-fiction stories and inspirational pieces published in national magazines, and over 40 articles published in various newsletters. Her children’s story won a 2007 St. David’s Conference Award. She is also a member of Pennwriters and lives outside Pittsburgh with her husband and two children. She is a past president of Pennwriters. Follow her on Twitter at @carolsilvis.

Sharon Wenger has a PhD in human genetics. With an academic appointment first at Pitt, then at WVU, she was responsible for the cytogenetics lab, teaching and research. She has authored numerous scientific publications. Her first novel is a thriller involving genetic research. Gene-ius will be released in 2026.

Annette Dashofy is the USA Today bestselling author of eighteen mystery novels including seven Agatha Award finalists and a Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award winner. Her most recent releases are The Devil Comes Calling and No Stone Left Unturned the 3rd and 4th in the Detective Honeywell mystery series. Additionally, she has been a Derringer Award finalist for her short fiction. Annette is a member of Pennwriters and Internation Thriller Writers, and is vice-president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Annette and her husband live on ten acres of what was her grandfather’s dairy farm in Washington County, Pennsylvania with their very spoiled cat, Kensi. Headshot of Annette Dashofy, Author, courtesy of Holly Tonini

Peter W. J. Hayes is a recovered marketing executive and author of the Silver Falchion-nominated Vic Lenoski police procedural series, set in Pittsburgh. His short stories have been finalists for the Derringer and Al Blanchard Awards for crime writing, and won the Pennwriters short story award. He is also a past nominee for the Crime Writers Association (CWA) Debut Dagger Award.

James H Lewis has published seven novels in the mystery genre, a family drama, and a historical novel set in World War II Canada. His short stories have appeared in Mystery Tribune and Yellow Mama. He is a former journalist and nonprofit executive.

Paula Minydzak is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, otherwise known as a “Yinzer.” Her parents grew up across the street from each other in a small town where most people worked in the steel mills. Their Italian and Slovak families were a strong part of her childhood, which included foods, holidays and religion. Several of her characters are based on her family members and other Pittsburghers. Paula has a background in legal and technical writing including training manuals, training presentations and legal documents. She is also an excellent tailor and patternmaker, although she spent many years as a legal secretary and paralegal. She is particularly inspired by the Hat Squad books of Karen Rose and Joe Lansdale’s novels. David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter Series is also a favorite. Her first love was Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. She follows numerous authors and reads every day. She currently lives in suburban Pittsburgh with her Norwegian Elkhound, Boss. Visit her website https://paulaminydzak.com for more.

Drawing on her work with engineering, safety, and cybersecurity companies, Jenny creates contemporary suspense and thriller stories for adults and teens. Her novella, “Workplace Rules for Fire-Breathing Dragons,” received an Honorable Mention in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella 2024 Contest. Her short story, “Ruby’s Rodeo Tailors and Western Wear Emporium,” was chosen for TALES OF MUSIC, MURDER, AND MAYHEM: BOUCHERCON ANTHOLOGY 2024. Her story, “A Long-Term Plan,” opens PARADISE IS DEADLY, the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime 2023 anthology. Jenny was a Rutgers One-on-One mentee, and she placed in the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting and Chesterfield Writer’s Film Project competitions. When she’s not at her desk, she’s often hiking through Myakka River State Park, skirting saw palmettos and Sarasota alligators. Visit her website at jennyramaley.com.

Janet Roberts writes character driven, contemporary fiction set wholly or partially in Western PA, where her roots run deep. Her readers know to expect a female character who awakens to the discovery of her own inner strength while facing adversity. Reviews call her writing “cinematic” and “brilliant and fresh prose”. Her award-winning novel What Lies We Keep (2024) combines cybersecurity with domestic suspense. Called “…a deeply intelligent work…” — Kirkus Reviews, it was a 2024 Finalist for The Hawthorne Award, and for “Best New Fiction” from both American Fiction Awards and American Best Books Awards; Winner of the 2024 Literary Titan Silver Medalist, Firebird Fiction Awards, and PenCraft Summer Book Award for Suspense Fiction. Her first two novels won 1st Place - Fiction from Pittsburgh's The Author Zone (TAZ). Her poetry has been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and in San Fedele Press’ Art in the Time of COVID-19. She's a member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and Pennwriters. A former global leader in cybersecurity education and awareness with over a decade of experience, she lives in Pittsburgh, PA, where Frick Park is her favorite place for a hike. She loves travel, wandering through bookstores in other countries, reading on her porch swing, and sharing a bottle of wine with friends. Learn more about her at www.booksbyjanetroberts.com.

Writing as Liz Milliron, Mary Sutton is the Shamus award-nominated author of the Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo, NY during the early years of WWII, the Laurel Highlands Mysteries set in the scenic Laurel Highlands of southwest Pennsylvania, and the Jackson Davis Mysteries set in Niagara Falls, NY. Her short fiction has been published in multiple anthologies including Murder Most International, Murder Most Historical, and the Anthony award-winning Blood on the Bayou. Liz is a past president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the current Secretary, as well as the Education Liaison for the National Board of Sisters in Crime. She is also a member of International Thriller Writers, Pennwriters and the Historical Novel Society. Liz lives in the Laurel Highlands with her husband and a very spoiled retired-racer greyhound.