Peter Abresch - Author of The Jim Dandy Elderhostel Mysteries, Bloody Bonsai and Killing Thyme. Tip A Canoe the third in the Elderhostel series, will be released in January 2001.

Letha Albright - Author of Tulsa Time (July 2000), the first in the Viv Powers mystery series, winner of the 1999 Dark Oak award in the Oak Tree Press mystery contest with first prize as publication.

Marthe Arends - Author of The Lion's Shadow the first in a romantic historical suspense series. Even before it was out, the novel was named by Malice Domestic as a possible contender for an Agatha award.

Chris Arthur - Award winning Irish author and poet, author of Irish Nocturnes, a collection of 18 powerful and emotional essays about Ireland and about life receiving rave reviews.

Burl Barer - An Edgar Award winner and two-time Anthony Award nominee who has penned some of The Saint series. Author of Murder in the Family (non-fiction) and Headlock (fiction), both to be released in August 2000.

Lynnette Baughman - Author of A Spy Within, a tale of murder and espionage based on events dating back to the 1940s, when the first atomic bomb was being constructed in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Laura Belgrave - Author of In the Spirit of Murder a heart-stopping first mystery novel of psychics and murder.

Laurien Berenson - Winner of 4 Maxwell Awards for Fiction from the Dog Writers Association of America, author of 19 books including Hush Puppy (1999) and the forthcoming Unleashed (Sept. 2000) the seventh book in the Melanie Travis mystery series.

Donna E. Boetig - Author of Feminine Wiles: Creative Techniques for Writing Women's Feature Stories That Sell an important book for any writer considering writing for national women's magazines.

Sinclair Browning - Author of the Trade Ellis Mysteries. The first in the series entitled The Last Song Dogs (1999) and the second entitled The Sporting Club (2000) received great reviews.

Lou Campanozzi - Retired Police Captain and author of the first in a series entitled The Killing Cards (May 2000). Two other books in the series are already in the works.

Sandra Ceren - Author of Prescription for Terror, a gripping debut novel which explores the mind of a serial rapist.

Harlan Coben - An award-winning mystery author. Winner of the Edgar, Shamus and Anthony Awards. Author of Darkest Fear (2000), book seven in the series featuring sports agent Myron Bolitar, a novel about fathers and sons.

Catherine Coulter - Bestselling author of over 30 historical romances with the latest The Courtship , and eight contemporary suspense thrillers, with the latest False Pretenses published in March 2000.

Bill Crider - Bestselling author of 35 mystery and western novels, with the latest Murder Is an Art.

Truly Donovan - Author of Chandler's Daughter (2000) and the forthcoming Winslow's Wife.

Rosey Dow - Author of the first mystery Reaping the Whirlwind (July 2000), a mix of fiction mystery with a true account.

David Dvorkin - Author of 14 novels ranging from science fiction to non fiction. The Cavaradossi Killings is his first mystery novel.

Janet Evanovich - Author of the popular mysteries High Five (1999) and Hot Six (June 2000).

Janet Fitch - Author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller and Oprah book of the month selection White Oleander (1999).

Joanne Fluke - Author of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (April 2000) the first book in the Hannah Swensen cooking mystery series.

Nicola Furlong - Author of A Hemorrhaging of Souls a dark psychological thriller which examines basic human desires and fears set on Vancouver Island, Canada.

Tess Gerritsen - New York Times bestselling author of four medical thrillers and nine romantic thrillers, an M.D. who took an unusual route to a successful writing career. Author of Bloodstream and Gravity.

Jean Goldstrom - Author of Free Your Captive Fiction Writer mandatory reading for every fiction writer.

Katherine Govier - Profile of an acclaimed Canadian novelist, short-story writer and journalist, author of Angel Walk, Immaculate Conception, Random Descent and The Truth Teller.

PJ Grady - Author of Maximum Insecurity nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First Private Eye Novel by the Private Eye Writers of America.

Jonathan Harrington - Author of The Death of Cousin Rose and The Second Sorrowful Mystery - New paperbacks released in 2000. The third book in the series A Great Day for Dying will be out in spring 2001.

Jane E. Hartman - Award-winning writer and ordained minister with graduate degrees in health sciences, naturopathy, homeopathy and anthropology, author of fourteen books including Radionics & Radiesthesia, Cougar Woman, and Shamanism for the New Age. Author of the latest Hatchet Harbor set in Maine.

L.C. Hayden - Author of Who's Susan and When Colette Died. Both mysteries were chosen as the January features for Oprah's Online Reading Cafe in January 2000.

Richard Helms - Author of Joker Poker (2000) the first book in the Pat Gallegher mystery series.

Julie Wray Herman - Author of Three Dirty Women and the Garden of Death.

Jane Isenberg - Author of Death In a Hot Flash and The "M" Word.

Jamie Katz - Author of Dead Low Tide (Dec. 1998) nominated for a 1999 Shamus Award for Best First Mystery, and A Summer for Dying (August 2000).

Toni Kelner - Agatha Award nominee and author of Death of a Damn Yankee (August 1999) the latest book in the Laura Fleming mystery series, nominated for a 1999 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Amateur Sleuth Novel.

Rochelle Krich - Anthony Award winner and Agatha nominee, author of eight critically acclaimed novels with the latest Dead Air (March 2000).

Dennis Lehane - An award-winning, popular author who has won a Shamus, a Dily and the Nero Wolfe awards. His latest book Prayers For Rain made the US President’s summer reading list in 1999.

Laura Lippman - Feature writer for the Baltimore Sun, author of the popular Tess Monoghan mysteries. Winner of the Edgar, the Shamus, the Agatha and the Anthony Awards. The Sugar House, the fifth book in the series, is due out in August 2000.

Alistair MacLeod - Profile of a great Canadian author. His latest novel No Great Mischief published by McClelland & Stewart in 1999, won the Trillium Prize in April 2000.

Susan McBride - Author of And Then She Was Gone, nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best First Mystery, and selected for the Oprah Reading Cafe online Summer 2000. This feature by Ron Miller of TheColumnists.com. Reprinted with permission.
© 2000 by Ron Miller, TheColumnists.com

Lise McClendon - Author of Nordic Nights, and the forthcoming One O'clock Jump, the first in a series featuring a female private detective, due out in March 2001 from St. Martin's Press.

Michael Mallory - Author of The Adventures of the Second Mrs. Watson, a first collection of short stories featuring Dr. Watson's second wife.

Valerie S. Malmont - Author of Death, Guns and Sticky Buns, the third in the popular Tori Miracle mystery series, and the soon-to-be released Death, Snow and Mistletoe just in time for Christmas 2000.

W.O. Mitchell 1914-1998 - Profile of an acclaimed Canadian novelist who won a series of awards and honors for his novels, short story collections, plays and television series throughout his life.
A Master's career.

Linda Opdyke - Author of Stones Throw (December 1999) and Lake Braxton (July 2000) both released by Hard Shell Word Factory. Stones Throw has been nominated for the Eppie Award in the thriller category, awarded by EPIC in August 2000. Also nominated for the Frankfurt E-book Award by the International eBook Award Foundation to be awarded in October 2000.
Grand Prize: $ 100,000.

Ann Prospero - Author of Almost Night, a chilling, not-to-be missed debut mystery set in the Florida Everglades.

Lev Raphael - Winner of several writing awards: the Harvey Swados Prize; the Lambda Literary Award; the Reed Smith Fiction Prize; and the International Quarterly Award for Innovative Writing. Author of the latest book in the Nick Hoffman mystery series Little Miss Evil (May 2000).

Robert J. Randisi - Author of Blood on the Arch, the third book in the Detective Joe Keough mystery series. RJ Randisi is also the founder of PWA and initiator of the Shamus Awards. He is also the recipient of the 1993 Life Achievements Award from the Southwest Mystery/Suspense Convention.

Mary Reed and Eric Mayer - Co-authors of One For Sorrow, the first in a series about John the Eunuch, Lord Chamberlain to Emperor Justinian. The next in the series Two For Joy will be released in summer 2000.

Les Roberts - Author of 18 published novels and numerous short stories, including The Best Kept Secret and the new mystery The Indian Sign. His latest The Dutch will be released in 2001.

Sarah St. Peter - Author of Murder.com. The novel received rave reviews, and is also available as an e-book from Peanut Press.

MR Sellars - Author of Harm None (2000), the first in a mystery/suspense series featuring Wicca, the practice of withcraft.

Deborah and Joel Shlian - A husband and wife medical team, co-authors of SHOU (2000), a remarkable mystery/suspense novel of international intrigue involving the Chinese secret for longevity.

Laurel Schunk - Author of Black and Secret Midnight , Death in Exile, The Voice He Loved and Under the Wolf's Head, the latter as the first in a mystery series featuring Callie Bagley.

Keith Snyder - Author of Show Control, Coffin's Got the Dead Guy on the Inside, and Trouble Comes Back (1999).

Jessica Speart - Author of the popular Rachel Porter mystery series, Gator Aide, Tortoise Soup and Bird Brained. Border Prey, the fourth in the series, will be released in June 2000.

Denise Swanson - Author of Murder of a Small-Town Honey, a first mystery that recreates the atmosphere of a small town.

Natalie Buske Thomas - Author of the Serena Wilcox Mysteries, with the second novel Virtual Memories nominated for OPRAH's Reading Cafe in fall 1999. The latest Camp Conviction will be released in 2000.

S.D.Tooley - Author of When the Dead Speak (1999), The Good Die Twice (1999) and Nothing Else Matters (2000).

Joanna Trollope- Hugely popular, bestselling British author of contemporary fiction. Some of her novels such as The Choir and The Rector's Wife have been adapted for television. The latest romance novel Marrying the Mistress is garnering rave reviews.

M. Diane Vogt - Author of Silicone Solution (1999), the first in a mystery series introducing the concept of a protagonist with a view from the bench, inspired by the author's 20 year career as a trial lawyer.

Susan Vreeland - Author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue, nominated in the Fiction Category for the ABA's BookSense Award. Also nominated for the Western States Art Federation's Book of the Year Award.

Barbara Jaye Wilson - Agatha Award nominee, author and creator of the popular Brenda Midnight mysteries, with the fifth book in the series A Hatful of Homicide to be released in August 2000.

Matt Witten - Author of Breakfast at Madeline's (1999), the first in a series introducing screenwriter Jacob Burns; Grand Delusion (2000) and Strange Bedfellows (November 2000). Matt Witten is also a screenwriter for the well-known television show Law & Order.

Dirk Wyle - Author of the Ben Candidi mystery series Pharmacology is Murder (1998) and Biotechnology is Murder (2000).