2025 Faculty: M through R
John Madinger
John joined the drug war in 1974 as a sheriff’s deputy, then served as a narcotics agent, supervisor, and administrator and a special agent/criminal investigator with the U.S. Department of the Treasury before hitting mandatory retirement age in 2010. He became one of the country’s leading authorities on money laundering and the author of Money Laundering: A Guide for Criminal Investigators (3rd Edition). John holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Indiana University and a master’s degree in history from the University of Hawaii and graduated from the Oklahoma state police academy, the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Academy, and was the honor graduate in the Treasury Criminal Investigation Training Program.
On the literary front, John also wrote another textbook, Confidential Informant: Law Enforcement's Most Valuable Tool, two novels, Death on Diamond Head and Pipe Dreams, and a history of the opium trade, Opium Kings of Old Hawaii. WildBlue Press published his memoir, Going Under: Kidnapping, Murder, and a Life Undercover, and his most recent book, an Amazon #1 Bestseller, Lethal Doses: The Story Behind the Godfather of Fentanyl. This book was used as the basis for the Fox Nation docuseries, The Godfather of Fentanyl, and is in development as a television series.
John grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he spent all but three years of his career, and currently lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with his wife and a Portuguese Water Dog named Indy.
Brent Maguire
Brent Maguire, PhD, is a psychologist and author. On the writing side, Brent is the author of the Broken Minds Thriller series, which comprises six novels to date. The series features a clinical psychologist who collaborates with law enforcement to unravel complex crimes. He has authored or co-authored several nonfiction works. His contributions focus on psychological topics. On the psychology side, Brent appreciates the intersection of psychology and writing. His focus on the mind-body relationship and tools such as mindfulness, imagery, and hypnosis has deepened his appreciation for the transformative power of words and ideas. While grammar and style serve as the foundation of writing, habits, motivation, procrastination management, and taming negative thinking and writing anxiety also shape the process. Brent believes writers can enhance their creativity and performance by integrating mind-body and behavioral strategies into their routines, emphasizing that the writing journey is about more than just reaching "the end." It's about relishing the entire experience.
Dr. Lisa Malice
Dr. Lisa Malice is a psychologist-turned-crime fiction writer. Her debut psychological thriller, LEST SHE FORGET, was released December 2023 by CamCat Books to rave reviews from authors, readers, and industry professionals and a month-long stay on the Amazon new thriller bestseller list. In 2024, she received the Benjamin Franklin Gold Medal for BEST NEW VOICE IN FICTION from the Independent Book Publishers Association. Lisa is an active volunteer for Thriller Writers, Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime, and Florida MWA.
Amber Meyer
Amber Meyer is an in-house writer for Sterling and Stone as well as a freelance developmental editor and book coach. She has worked with clients in nearly every genre, but has a soft spot for mysteries and thrillers.
Katie Monson
Katie Monson has been self-employed, watching children in her home for the last 12 years, and has enjoyed the privilege of being home to raise her children. She recently made the decision to massively change up her life and find a different path to take while still being able to home with her kids, leading her to SBR Media. Katie has always had a passion for reading ever since she was a little girl. Over the years she developed a strong interest in reading indie romance books, which naturally led to blogging, beta reading and editing small manuscripts for authors. She is self-motivated, organized and ready to represent clients and help lead them to success.
When Katie isn’t reading, sitting by the pool, or complaining about the cold Rochester winters, she can be found traveling to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and spending time with her husband and four children in Rochester, NY.
Jacob Moon
Jacob Moon is an army veteran and a recently retired corrections sergeant from Clearwater, Florida. His short work has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines, most notably The Saturday Evening Post, and he self-published his three crime fiction novels. His debut, Furlough, is based heavily on his career at a large county jail, and his second, Dead Reckoning was a finalist for the 2023 Silver Falchion Award for Best Supernatural Novel. His most recent, Letter 26, won the 2025 Maxy Award for Best Horror & Suspense Novel.
James Mustelier
I’m looking for a range of commercial and literary fiction and non-fiction. Across genres I prize economical prose, complex characters, steadily building tension, narrative gravity, and the momentary relief of dark humor, even amid dire circumstances.
In commercial fiction I’m looking for compact horror and mysteries with unique hooks and intricate plotting. In sci-fi and fantasy I’m drawn to stories that are grounded in reality and have high stakes that touch on contemporary issues — much more speculative fiction and alternate histories than space opera or high fantasy.
In nonfiction I’m looking for books that give me a vivid look into subcultures and events I might not otherwise have had the chance to explore. Much of my favorite nonfiction melds a distinct narrative voice with rigorous research.
Kelly Oliver
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning and bestselling author of four mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries (contemporary suspense); The Pet Detective Mysteries (middle grade); The Fiona Figg Mysteries (historical cozies); and a brand-new series The Detection Club Mysteries (historical mystery). The first in the new series, The Case of the Christie Conspiracy, was an instant bestseller on Barnes & Noble and #1 Bestselling Historical Mystery on Amazon. The second just came out in July.
Kelly earned her PhD in philosophy from Northwestern University. She taught philosophy at various colleges and universities for decades. Recently she retired from Vanderbilt University, where she was a distinguished professor, so she could write mysteries full time.
Currently, Kelly is Immediate Past President of Sisters in Crime National. She is incoming program coordinator for SinC Guppies. And she is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Queer Crime Writers.
Kelly is Distinguished Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. To learn more about Kelly and her books, go to www.kellyoliverbooks.com.
J. Michael Orenduff
Mike Orenduff is best known as the author of the Pot Thief murder mysteries set in Albuquerque that have won many awards including the Lefty Award for best Humorous Murder Mystery of the year, starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, and 7 New Mexico Book of the Year Awards.
Before he started writing fiction, he taught philosophy at universities in 7 states and 4 countries. He also served in administrative roles including Chancellor of the University of Maine, President of New Mexico State University, and finally as Distinguished Visiting Faculty Member at The United States Military Academy at West Point where he won the Professor of the Year Award. Even though he was teaching at West Point, he cheered for Navy in the annual Army-Navy football game because he served in the Navy from which he received an Honorable Discharged in 1967.
T.O. Paine
T.O. Paine is an award-winning author of fast-paced thriller suspense novels. He is a member of International Thriller Writers and holds a master’s degree in computer information systems. His high-emotion novels focus on the consequences of his character’s choices, resulting in spine-tingling, suspenseful twist endings. He has written and indie-published over five novels in the past nine years, obtaining a wealth of intense craft and book marketing experience. He has a Boston Terrier muse named Rudy, who is also a very bad life coach.
Sara Paretsky
Sara Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 by introducing V.I. Warshawski in Indemnity Only. Paretsky challenged a genre in which women historically were vamps or victims by creating a detective with the grit and smarts to take on the mean streets. V.I. struck a chord with readers and critics; Indemnity Only was followed by twenty more V.I. novels. Her voice and world remain vital to readers; the New York Times calls V.I. "a proper hero for these times," adding, "To us, V.I. is perfect."
While Paretsky's fiction changed the narrative about women, her work also opened doors for other writers. In 1986, she created Sisters in Crime, a worldwide organization that advocates for women crime writers. This organization earned her Ms. Magazine's 1987 Woman of the Year award. More accolades followed: the British Crime Writers awarded her the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement; Blacklist won the Gold Dagger from the British Crime Writers for best novel of 2004, and she has received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from several universities.
Called "passionate" and "electrifying," V.I. reflects her creator's passion for social justice. After chairing the school's first Commission on the Status of Women as a Kansas University undergraduate, Paretsky worked as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side during the turbulent race riots of 1966. Since then, Paretsky's volunteer work has included advocating for healthcare for the mentally ill homeless, mentoring teens in Chicago's most troubled schools, and working for reproductive rights. Through her Sara & Two C-Dogs foundation, she also helps build STEM and arts programs for young people.
The actress Kathleen Turner played V.I. Warshawski in the movie of that name. Paretsky's work is celebrated in Pamela Beere Briggs's documentary Women of Mystery. Today, Sara Paretsky's books are published in 30 countries.
Paretsky detailed her journey from Kansas farm girl to New York Times bestseller in her 2007 memoir, Writing in an Age of Silence, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. In addition, Paretsky has written two stand-alone novels, Ghost Country and Bleeding Kansas, set in the part of rural Kansas where she grew up. She has published several short story collections, most recently Love & Other Crimes, and has edited numerous other anthologies.
Learn more about Sara Paretsky at https://saraparetsky.com/.
Caitlin Rother
Caitlin Rother is a New York Times bestselling true crime author and Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist. She worked for nearly two decades as an investigative reporter and has had work published in Cosmopolitan, The Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, among others. As a TV crime commentator, she has done more than 200 media appearances on episodes of 20/20, People Magazine Investigates, Crime Watch Daily, Australia's World News, Nancy Grace, Snapped, and numerous shows on Netflix, Investigation Discovery, HLN, REELZ, Oxygen, E!, A&E, C-SPAN and various PBS affiliates. Rother also works as a writing/research coach and consultant, and plays piano and sings in an acoustic band. She lives in Southern California and can be found online at CaitlinRother.com.
Jordyn Redwood
Jordyn Redwood is a Publisher’s Weekly bestselling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning author of medical thrillers and suspense. With over 30 years of experience as a registered nurse specializing in telephone triage, emergency, and critical care, she brings gripping authenticity and medical precision to every story. When she’s not writing thrillers, she runs Redwood’s Medical Edge, a medical blog for authors, helping writers get the details right and raise the stakes on the page.
Jordyn Redwood
Jordyn Redwood is a Publisher’s Weekly bestselling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning author of medical thrillers and suspense. With over 30 years of experience as a registered nurse specializing in telephone triage, emergency, and critical care, she brings gripping authenticity and medical precision to every story. When she’s not writing thrillers, she runs Redwood’s Medical Edge, a medical blog for authors, helping writers get the details right and raise the stakes on the page.
Mark Rein
Mark Rein is a Marine Corps veteran who served during the Desert Storm era. His path into law enforcement began while studying criminal justice at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, balancing coursework with a job as a security officer for the college police department.
In 1995, Mark joined the Anchorage Police Department, where he worked the streets as a patrol officer, field training officer, and Sergeant. Over the years, he received two life-saving awards and the Police Medal of Valor. As a detective and detective sergeant, he tackled cases in burglary, vice, sexual assault, and major narcotics, gaining firsthand insight into the darker corners of crime.
After retiring from law enforcement, Mark turned his focus to storytelling, channeling his real-life experiences into crime thrillers and hosting Crime Raven, a true-crime podcast. When he’s not writing, he’s tending to Three Little Birds Farm in eastern Kentucky, where he raises Katahdin sheep and breeds registered Anatolian shepherds.
He can be reached at Markrein907@gmail.com.
Zelly Ruskin
Zelly Ruskin is the award-winning author of Not Yours to Keep. She writes domestic suspense that dives deep into the secrets families keep—and the resilience that carries them through. A former social worker and adoption consultant, Zelly is a (sometimes) artist, a brain aneurysm awareness volunteer, and loves to travel. She lives in New York City with her ridiculous doodle, Strudel.