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Research is Important!
Research is a key element when it comes to writing any enveloping storyline. While it is fiction, a level of believability is required in order to transport the reader. No matter if the mystery occurs in the past or present, basic facts and speech can make or break the novel.
Sandy Nork is the author of the Valerie Sloan crime novels set in the world of insurance investigation of musical instruments. After a varied career in business, Sandy was a librarian in Pennsylvania for 23 years at both the local and state level. She retired from libraries to spend
more time with her fictional characters. She lives in the Harrisburg area with her musician husband and his collection of guitars. You can find out more about her at sandynork.com.
Sandy Nork - Author (Suspense/Thriller)
A recovering technical writer, Liz Milliron is the author of The Laurel Highlands Mysteries, set in the scenic Laurel Highlands and The Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo NY during the early years of World War II. Liz splits her time between Pittsburgh and the Laurel Highlands, where she lives with her husband and a very spoiled retired-racer greyhound.
Liz Milliron- Author (Historical Fiction)
Moderated by Author Matty Dalrymple
Karen Shughart is the award-winning author of the maritime-themed Edmund DeCleryk cozy mystery series (Cozy Cat Press). All books in the series have historical subplots and recipes prepared by the sleuth's wife, Annie, head of the local historical society who also assists her husband in solving the crimes. Karen is also a co-author of two additional Cozy Cat mysteries,
and the author of two non-fiction books. She and her husband live in a village on Lake Ontario,
the prototype for the setting of her books.
Karen Shughart - Author (Historical/Contemporary)
Sarah Ickes has a devoted passion to art, a love for reading and writing, and has an old soul when it comes to television and films. Though she has a degree in Fine Arts, her life is not as simple as a piece of paper. She has worked in retail management, web designing, and marketing to name a few of the realms of her experiences. Her interest in historical America comes vividly to life in her Murial Robertson mysteries, following the adventures of a woman in the 1880s. Currently, she has three books in the series, as well as working behind the scenes on a woman’s fiction novel and a steampunk/mythology series to be coming out in the near future.
Sarah Ickes - Author (Historical Fiction)
Nicole graduated from Curry College in Milton Mass with a degree in English/Creative Writing, minoring in Dance in 2004 after attending high school in Cumberland Valley, PA. She also attended George Mason University and received a Master’s in Arts Management. Now working in just outside of Boston as a Technical Writer, she lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with her three cats Julia, Jacques, and Madeline (no relation to the main character of her book). She is currently on the committee for the NE Crime Bake, an annual conference held in Massachusetts every November. She also hosts a brand new podcast BASEBALL, BOOKS, AND BANTER.
Nicole Asselin - Author (Contemporary/Cozy)
