2026 Faculty: M through R
Amber Meyer / Editor
Amber Meyer is a Story Grid Certified Editor with a passion for murder mysteries. If you long to commit fictional murder, then Amber may be your ideal partner in crime. Amber currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three crazy kids and four fur-babies. She dreams of living on a beach In Hawaii and becoming the next Agatha Christie.
Scott Moore
SCOTT MOORE is a writer and director best known for The Hangover and Bad Moms. His latest film, Spa Weekend, stars Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Anna Faris, and Michelle Buteau and is slated for theatrical release this summer.
Expanding beyond film, Moore’s debut solo novel, The Mad Widows, will be published by Simon & Schuster in early 2027. The darkly comedic mystery marks his first work as a solo author.
Moore continues to work with long-time writing partner Jon Lucas. Over the past 26 years, they have written more than a dozen movies together, which have received numerous awards and grossed over two billion dollars worldwide.
Moore co-wrote The Hangover, winner of the 2010 Golden Globe for Best Comedy. The script earned him a nomination for Best Original Screenplay from both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Moore also co-wrote and co-directed the sleeper hit Bad Moms, which was the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of the year and won the People’s Choice Award for Best Comedy. The movie spawned a successful sequel, A Bad Moms Christmas, and currently has a Broadway musical in development.
Moore’s other film credits include the hit holiday comedy Four Christmases, starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn; the romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, and Michael Douglas; The Change-Up, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman; and 21 & Over, starring Miles Teller, and Justin Chon, which Moore also co-directed.
In 2013, Lucas & Moore created their first television show, Mixology, which aired for 13 episodes on ABC and can be streamed on Apple TV.
Moore was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is an alumnus of Punahou School and the University of Colorado.
John Peragine
John Peragine is an author, journalist, and ghostwriter whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Reuters, and Today.com. Before becoming a full-time writer, he spent more than a decade as an investigative social worker, developing a strong foundation in observation, interviewing, and understanding complex human behavior. His background informs his work across fiction and nonfiction, especially in crime, suspense, and narrative storytelling.
Nicola Pittam / Agent
Nicola Pittam is a British journalist, award winning author and screenwriter. She has published 4 best selling books and her scripts have placed in such contests as the Bitch List, The Grey List’s Top 40 Writers Over 40 in Hollywood in 2023 and 2025, Shore Scripts, Atlanta Film Festival, LA International Screenplay Awards, Table Read My Screenplay & Austin Film Festival. She is also the COO and Acquisition Agent for Dark Anthem Press. Nicola is a member of The Author’s Guild, Women In Film, The IWC (Independent Writers’ Caucus) and The International Press Association.
Dark Anthem is currently looking for genre fiction – horror, sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian YA, dark gothic and thrillers.
Website: https://darkanthempress.com/
Carol Potenza
Carol Potenza is the award-winning author of Hearts of the Missing, a Tony Hillerman Prize, winner, Spirit Daughters, a Daphne du Maurier Mainstream Mystery/Suspense winner, and Sting of Lies, a Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist. She taught biochemistry at New Mexico State University before transitioning to a full-time mystery writer. Carol is a lifelong learner who loves the challenges of writing and craft. In her books, she specializes in creating a combination of strong women sleuths, paranormal and murder, mixed with science or, as she likes to call it—Biochem-Mystery. She sets all her mysteries—historical, contemporary, and futuristic—in the beautiful state of New Mexico, her adopted home.
Lynda Rees
Lynda Rees’s passion is to bring you the joy of reading mystery with a dash of romance and a dollop of history. Her small-town women face dire circumstances that bring out their unknown strengths. Her books are set in Kentucky, except for her historical novels. Lynda has authored 30+ novels including adult suspense, mystery, historical and contemporary romance, middle-grade/early reader, children's picture and workbooks, as well as published several non-fiction books. Her writing has earned these accolades: 2X KILLER NASHVILLE SILVER FALCION READER’S CHOICE, RWA’s GOLDEN HEART, THE CAROLINE READER’S CHOICE, PITTSBURG PRESS BEST CHOICE, IMAGINARIUM and RITA FINALIST.
Lynda is a member of SCBI, MWA, SiC, ITW, DRS, CRW, BWC, BWA, KRW, LLA, GLFW and Ky. Humanities. She provides workshops and talks on various subjects by request. Join Lynda Rees on social media at links below and as a VIP at https://bit.ly/33fcOuy.
LINKS:
Website: https://lyndareesauthor.com
Children’s Website: LyndaReesKidLit@wordpress.com
YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/2HmSA9M
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lynda-rees
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17187400.Lynda_Rees
X https://twitter.com/LyndaReesauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynda.rees.author/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com@lyndareesauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lyndareesauthor/pins/
Mason Rowlee / Agent
Mason Rowlee joined DeFiore & Company in 2023. He previously worked as an assistant literary scout at Jenny La Plante, Inc., where he developed an eye for the type of books that appeal to international publishers and film production companies. He also interned at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, CBS Television Production, McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency and Gotham Writers Workshop. Originally from rural Upstate New York, he is a graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill.
Mason only represents adult books. He is seeking literary novels with genre elements, unputdownable thrillers, horror with nuanced social commentary, and novels that embrace the absurd. He is particularly interested in working with queer authors.