C.J. Connor
CJ Connor is a Pitch Wars alumnus as well as a Book Riot and EBSCO NoveList contributor. They write queer romance and cozy mysteries. When they are not writing, they can be found stress knitting, listening to angsty folk music, or walking their chihuahua.
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Rob Osler
Rob Osler is the USA Today Bestselling author of THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID, book one in the new historical Harriet Morrow Investigates series. Praise for the novel: a Publisher's Weekly STARRED REVIEW, a New York Times "Standout Historical Release," The Washington Post's "Best Novels to Cozy Up With," a Historical Novel Society Editor's Choice, and an Amazon Editor's Pick.
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CIRQUE DU SLAY, the follow-up to acclaimed DEVIL'S CHEW TOY is the 2025 Winner of the Anthony and Left Coast Crime Awards for Best Humorous Novel.
Rob's short story, MISS DIRECTION (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Sept/Oct 2023), was a finalist for the 2024 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award, and his short story, ANALOGUE (also EQMM), won the Mystery Writers of Ameri -
Sandra Jackson-Opoku
Sandra Jackson-Opoku is the author of the award-winning novel, The River Where Blood is Born and Hot Johnny and the Women Who Loved Him, an Essence Magazine Bestseller in Hardcover Fiction. She also coedited the anthology Revise the Psalm: Work Celebrating the Writing of Gwendolyn Brooks. Her fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic works are widely published and produced in Adi Magazine, Midnight & Indigo, Aunt Chloe, Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction, New Daughters of Africa, Obsidian, Another Chicago Magazine, storySouth, Lifeline Theatre, the Chicago Humanities Festival, and others. Professional recognition includes a Plentitudes Journal Prize, the Hearst Foundation James Baldwin Fellowship at MacDowell Arts, a National Endowment
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Josh Lanyon
Author of 100+ titles of Gay Mystery and M/M Romance, Josh Lanyon has built her literary legacy on twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance.
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Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Cho -
Lucy Lawrence
Lucy Lawrence is a pen name for Jenn McKinlay.
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Lucy Lawrence (a pseudonym for Jenn McKinlay) took her first decoupage class when she was twelve years old. Since then, cutting and pasting have become a way of life. With two small children at home, she finds decoupage a fun craft as well as a very handy tool, especially when used to cover up doodles made in permanent marker on otherwise lovely furniture. And yes, they know her by name at her local Michael's Craft Store. She is the author of three previous novels under the name Jennifer McKinlay and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her musician husband Chris, their two sons, two cats, one dog and one fish. -
Sina Grace
Sina Grace’s parents had big plans for their son: Ivy League schooling, professional credentials, a 6-figure income as a doctor– the works! Fortunately for us, he found the wonderful world of comics instead. It was in this world of contradictions that he “matured,” one foot teetering on the edge of academia, the other drawn to the inescapable grasp of an ink-bound fantasy underworld.
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At 14, Grace seemingly appeased his parents by interning at Top Cow Productions, under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Renae Geerlings (his single mother figured at least he was collecting college credit). However the only thing he was collecting (other than comics), was the compulsive habit of drawing unrealistically proportioned, scantily clad women.
At 16, he -
Frank Anthony Polito
Frank Anthony Polito is an award-winning author and playwright. His published novels include Band Fags (2008 “Best Fiction” – InsightOut Book Club) and Drama Queers (2009 Lambda Literary Award), and the novella “A Christmas to Remember” (the sequel to BAND FAGS!) as featured in the collection Remembering Christmas, and The Spirit of Detroit.
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In April 2012, Frank published his first Young Adult novel, Lost in the 90s under his own imprint, Woodward Avenue Books.
Frank grew up in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park. He received his BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University and his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon. He resides in Pleasant Ridge, MI with his partner, Craig Bentley, and their two dogs, Jack and Clyde. He is currently writ -
Zac Bissonnette
New York Times bestselling author Zac Bissonnette's most recent book is 2015’s The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute. He is an equity analyst at a hedge fund, and lives in New York City with his partner and a tuxedo cat named Perry Como.
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Olivia Waite
Olivia Waite writes queer historical romance, science fiction, and fantasy. She is the romance fiction columnist for the New York Times Book Review.
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Lev A.C. Rosen
LEV AC ROSEN sometimes is sometimes known as L.C. ROSEN. He is the author of books for all ages.
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Kate E. Dyer-Seeley
Kate Dyer-Seeley writes the Pacific Northwest Mystery Series for Kensington Publishing, featuring the rugged landscapes of the PNW and a young journalist who bills herself as an intrepid adventurer in order to land a gig writing for Northwest Extreme.
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Kate also writes the Bakeshop Mysteries (St. Martin's Press) under the pen name Ellie Alexander.
The first three books in the series, SCENE OF THE CLIMB, SLAYED ON THE SLOPES, SILENCED IN THE SURF, and FIRST DEGREE MUDDER are available now. IN CAVE DANGER coming November 2017.
“Dyer-Seeley's debut fits squarely in the newer subniche that can be called ‘extreme cozy,’ meaning it's a good mix for younger readers who like traditional mysteries but want a little more action or edginess. The author p -
Jennie Marts
Jennie Marts is a USA Today bestselling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. She loves genre-mashups, and her books range from western romance to cozy mysteries but all have the charm and appeal of quirky small-town life. Living out her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado, she’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.
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Jennifer J. Chow
Jennifer J. Chow writes multicultural stories. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Her accolades include: Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, & Lilian Jackson Braun Award nominations; SoCal Indie Bestseller; Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB finalist; and Teen Vogue coverage.
Find out more and join her monthly newsletter on her author website. -
Markus Harwood-Jones
Markus Harwood-Jones (he/they) is a proudly queer and trans space-case who has been writing since he can remember. Markus specializes in writing young-adult fiction and has a soft-spot for sappy love stories. He lives in downtown Toronto with his husband, their platonic co-parent, and their extra-cute kiddo. Markus is an aspiring TikTokker with 125k+ followers. He and can be found on social media under the handle @MarkusBones.
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Jesse Q. Sutanto
Jesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Jakarta and Singapore and sees both cities as her homes. She has a Masters degree from Oxford University, though she has yet to figure out a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. She is currently living back in Jakarta on the same street as her parents and about seven hundred meddlesome aunties. When she's not tearing out her hair over her latest WIP, she spends her time baking and playing FPS games. Oh, and also being a mom to her two kids.
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Steven Salvatore
Steven Salvatore is a critically acclaimed author, book coach, and chaos agent whose obsessions include Star Wars, Mariah Carey, boating in the Adirondacks, his loud Italian family, exploring Italy, being Italian (Siciliano, not Italian-American!), and having and dissecting his existential crises (not in that order). As a studied, accomplished composition professor with experience running college writing programs, he’s currently an academic advisor at Manhattanville University, where he also teaches. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. He lives somewhere with his amazing husband Chris.
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Steven is represented by Jess Regel at Helm Literary. His books include the critical darling AND THEY LIVED..., CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY, NO -
Olivia Blacke
Mysterious, Spooky, Cozy & Kooky
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Olivia Blacke (she/her) is the Anthony Award-winning author of the Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries, as well as the cozy Record Shop Mysteries and the Brooklyn Murder Mysteries. She had her first ghost encounter when she was five, but wasn’t involved with an active crime scene until much later, when she accidentally stepped into a chalk outline on a Manhattan sidewalk. Armed with a Criminology degree, she channels her love of the supernatural and passion for writing into darkly humorous supernatural mysteries. She wants to be a unicorn when she grows up.
A NEW LEASE ON DEATH: https://bit.ly/ANLOD
Social media links, blog, and up-to-date news is found at: OliviaBlacke.com
Newsletter signup: http://www.oliviablacke.com -
Kevin Christopher Snipes
Kevin Christopher Snipes is a New York-based writer who was born and raised in Florida. He spent his early career in the theater writing such plays as A Bitter Taste, The Chimes and Ashes, Ashes. Later, for Gimlet Media, he created the queer fantasy podcast The Two Princes. He can generally be found watching reruns of Doctor Who and The Golden Girls in his spare time. Milo and Marcos at the End of the World is his first novel.
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Mia P. Manansala
Mia P. Manansala is a book coach and the author of ARSENIC AND ADOBO (Berkley 2021), the first in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series.
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She uses humor (and murder) to explore aspects of the Filipino diaspora, queerness, and her millennial love for pop culture.
She is the winner of the 2018 Hugh Holton Award, the 2018 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, the 2017 William F. Deeck - Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers, and the 2016 Mystery Writers of America/Helen McCloy Scholarship. She's also a 2017 Pitch Wars alum and 2018-2020 mentor.
A lover of all things geeky, Mia spends her days procrastibaking, playing JRPGs and dating sims, reading cozy mysteries, and dreaming of becoming best buds with Wonder Woman -
Rob Osler
Rob Osler is the USA Today Bestselling author of THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID, book one in the new historical Harriet Morrow Investigates series. Praise for the novel: a Publisher's Weekly STARRED REVIEW, a New York Times "Standout Historical Release," The Washington Post's "Best Novels to Cozy Up With," a Historical Novel Society Editor's Choice, and an Amazon Editor's Pick.
Buy books on Amazon
CIRQUE DU SLAY, the follow-up to acclaimed DEVIL'S CHEW TOY is the 2025 Winner of the Anthony and Left Coast Crime Awards for Best Humorous Novel.
Rob's short story, MISS DIRECTION (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Sept/Oct 2023), was a finalist for the 2024 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award, and his short story, ANALOGUE (also EQMM), won the Mystery Writers of Ameri -
Sonora Reyes
Born and raised in Arizona, Sonora Reyes writes fiction full of queer and Latine characters in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories.
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Outside of writing, Sonora loves breaking their body and vocal chords by playing with their baby niblings, and dancing/singing karaoke at the same time. -
Holly Stars
Holly Stars is a drag stand-up comedian and writer. She is the writer of the smash-hit drag murder mystery, Death Drop, a play that has had three runs on the West End and a UK and Ireland tour. Holly has two seasons of her own television series, Holly Stars: Inspirational, produced by Froot TV and Tuckshop. She is also the producer and cohost of murder-mystery book review podcast, Read to Death, and is currently completing an accredited qualification in professional investigation, which will make her the world's first drag queen private detective.
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Adrian Andover
I'm an avid reader, lifelong mystery lover, and debut author.
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Growing up, I spent countless hours watching Murder, She Wrote with my grandma and read any mystery series I could get my hands on from Cam Janesn to The Boxcar Children.
Fast forward to 2020. I was living alone in a 200-square-foot studio apartment during the pandemic. I was living hours away from my nearest family. Unable to go anywhere, I found a joyful respite in cozy mystery novels, allowing myself to be transported to coffeeshops, bookstores, and other cozy locations I couldn't visit in person. I made friends with the amateur sleuths and quirky cast of characters in the long-running series I was devouring.
As much as I fell in love with the genre, I quickly realized that it -
Sara Nelson
Sara Nelson is an American publishing industry figure who is an editor, book reviewer, consultant, and columnist. She is currently the editorial director at Amazon.com. Nelson is notable for having been editor in chief at the book industry's chief trade publication Publishers Weekly from 2005–2009 during a time of wrenching restructuring and industry downsizing. After that, she was book editor at Oprah's O Magazine. Her book So Many Books, So Little Time was published in 2003. Her views have been widely reported in numerous publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and she has appeared on television broadcasts including CBS's The Early Show. She has written for the Wall Street Journal and the Huffington Po
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Zac Bissonnette
New York Times bestselling author Zac Bissonnette's most recent book is 2015’s The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute. He is an equity analyst at a hedge fund, and lives in New York City with his partner and a tuxedo cat named Perry Como.
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