2026 Faculty: M through R
Jody Madala
Jody Madala writes thrillers as J.M. Blooms. She spent 18 years in finance, now works in technology, and teaches marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. She reads 100+ books annually, has judged ITW’s Thriller Awards and Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards, and is currently revising her debut thriller. @jmblooms_author | jmblooms.com
Michael Maloof
Michael Maloof is the award-winning author of the Kate Preacher Thriller Series: Relentless, Unstoppable, and Defiant. Drawing on decades of international travel, high-tech leadership, and close collaboration with military and intelligence professionals, he writes authentic, high-stakes international thrillers. Unstoppable is a 2026 Silver Falchion Award finalist.
Robert Mangeot
Robert Mangeot lives in Franklin, Tennessee. His short fiction appears here and there, including Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, The Forge Literary Magazine, Lowestoft Chronicle, Sleuthsayer’s Murder, Neat, Mystery Magazine, MWA’s Ice Cold, and the Anthony-winning Murder Under the Oaks. His work has won the Claymore Award and been selected three times as a Derringer Award finalist. He has received SEMWA’s Magnolia Award for service to the writing community.
Shelley Marsh
Shelley Marsh is the author of The Estate Sale Mysteries and the eco-mystery Up the Creek. A former speech-language pathologist and freelance journalist, she writes mysteries inspired by Florida’s unique communities and wild places. Shelley serves as Vice President of the Northeast Florida chapter of Sisters in Crime.
Sherry Shealy Martschink
Sherry Shealy Martschink, former SC state senator, commissioner, school board member, bar pianist, clown, newspaper columnist. Appeared on To Tell the Truth, Today show, Family Feud, What’s My Line? Attended NATO conference in Brussels, participated in business/government exchange in Australia, studied International Commercial Arbitration in Austria.
Dianne McCartney
Dianne McCartney is an award-winning writer, speaker, and contest judge from Bartlett, Tennessee. She is the author of sixteen books of mainstream and romantic suspense. Her latest release is Twice Scorned.
A retired professional horsewoman, she and her husband, Mitch, live near their daughter, Colleen. When Dianne takes a break from writing, you can find her bargain-shopping in a vintage store, searching for treasures in a book store, or checking out the latest play at local theaters.
Mike McKinley
Mike McKinley writes THE BAKER STREET LETTERS series, published by St. Martin's Press/Macmillan under the pseudonym Michael Robertson.
"A delightful romp...The last third of the novel is one of the finest, scariest sequences in current crime fiction." --Booklist (starred review for The Brothers of Baker Street, 2011)
Kim Megahee
Kim Megahee is a writer, musician, and retired computer consultant.
In addition to writing, he enjoys reading, playing live music, and socializing with friends.
Kim lives in Gainesville, Georgia, with his soulmate wife Martha and Leo, the brilliant, but stubborn red-headed toy poodle.
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.
Teresa Michael
Teresa Michael is the award-winning author of the Mariposa Café Mystery Series and the Harrington House B&B Mystery series. Murder with a Terrace View received the 2025 FWA Royal Palm Literary Award and was a Silver Falchion Top Pick. Her latest release, The Wedding Planner’s Secret, continues to delight fans of cozy mysteries with strong female protagonists.
Gary Minder
Gary S. Minder’s journey spans Ankara, Pittsburgh, and Tuscaloosa, where he experienced the dawn of school desegregation and graduated from Central High School. After living in Chicago, Boston, Seattle, and Portland, he returned to Tuscaloosa in 2006. The Education of Asa Paxton is his debut novel and series opener.
Brian Montross
Brian Montross is a New Mexico author and retired principal engineer whose thrillers draw on a career spent solving complex technical problems. His novels The Quantum Veil and The Forbidden Strain blend science, faith, conspiracy, and suspense. A 2026 Silver Falchion finalist, his latest thriller, The Babel Protocol, arrives soon.
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.
Tisha Morris
Tisha Morris is an entertainment attorney and founder of Legacy Arts Law PC where she represents writers, authors, filmmakers, and creators in film, new media, and publishing. She advises on contracts, dealmaking, and creative business strategy, and is the author of multiple books on creativity and personal development, including her latest release, The Screen Playbook. Tisha she serves on the board of the Ojai Film Festival and is an active member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, California Lawyers for the Arts, and Women in Film. Tisha is a Nashville native and now lives in Ojai, CA. She can be found online at www.legacyartslaw.com.
John Morrison
Former intelligence officer and cybersecurity expert. The Perfection of Fish debuted in 2020. The Pieces of My Self won the 2023 Claymore for Best Sci-fi/Fantasy. The Shape in Stone is a finalist for the 2026 Claymore. I’m a member of the Authors’ Guild, Speculative Fiction Association, and Galesville Astrophysics Society.
Jim Nesbitt
Jim Nesbitt is a lapsed horseman, pilot, hunter, saloon sport and recovering journalist with a keen appreciation of old guns, vintage cars and trucks, good cigars, aged whisky without an 'e' and a well-told story. He is also the award-winning author of five hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature battered but relentless Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch, including his latest, THE FATAL SAVING GRACE, a finalist for this year's Silver Falchion award. A diehard Tennessee Vols fan, he now lives in enemy territory -- Athens, Alabama -- and is working on a Western set in the Texas Panhandle of the 1920s, tentatively titled BOOMTOWN BLOOD: A Charlie Mack Kincaid Novel.
Luna E. Nuntia
Luna E. Nuntia is a licensed psychotherapist, conference moderator, and former news anchor. Her distinguished background as a Lead Trainer for the Department of Veterans Affairs in PTSD, trauma, and suicidal ideation provides a real-world authority on survival instincts and hypervigilance. Crafting her debut fiction, Luna bridges the gap between clinical reality and psychological suspense.
Leah Orr
Leah Orr is an award-winning USA TODAY featured bestselling Indie storyteller. Her national bestsellers include The Retirees and The She Shed. She donates the profits from the sale of her books to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and has raised over $1.4 million to date. The target audience for her domestic thrillers is women 55+.
Randy Overbeck
Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, bestselling author, popular podcaster and speaker in much demand. His paranormal mysteries, breathtaking thrillers and historical suspense have won national awards including Best Book (Chantlicleer), Thriller of the Year (ReadersFavorite), the Gold Award (LiteraryTitan), Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) and Silver Falchion Finalist.
James Owen
James Owen is the author of “The Wicked Among Us.” As a lawyer, he was directly involved with the case and many of the people it entangled. He’s also been a judge and now runs a clean energy group. James lives in Columbia, Missouri with his wife and two kids.
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.
Dan Parrish
Dan Parrish is a pediatric and adult general surgeon. He has authored more than 30 academic articles and a short biography. Inspired by the works of Michael Crichton and Stephen King, he has aspirations of becoming a full time author. This is his first time at Killer Nashville.
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/
Jeffrey Phillips
Jeffrey “Hammerhead” Philips began scuba diving in 1967, dove for two years, got certified by NASDS, then became a PADI instructor. In 1980, he married the prettiest mermaid in the ocean. After many years in West Palm Beach, he now resides in the mountains of Tennessee writing fictionalized events based on his travels.
His latest book, “The Past That Kills” will be available for sale.
Tiara Platt
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Tiara Platt began writing in college, quickly standing out as an honors student in every writing course she took. But her voice as a writer first emerged in high school, when she was named runner-up in a citywide poetry slam for a powerful piece on stopping violence. That poem was later featured on billboards across Chicago, an early sign of her ability to move and inspire through words.
Her debut novel, I Was Never Here, draws from her own experiences growing up in a trauma-filled environment, telling a story of hope, friendship, and resilience in the face of adversity.
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.
Douglas Pratt
Douglas Pratt, a best-selling action author of nearly 40 novels, hails from Memphis, Tennessee, captivates readers with his unique blend of charm and intensity, reflecting his Southern roots. His works keep audiences on the edge of their seats, infused with a sense of adventure and exploration. Beyond writing, Pratt's personal interests lead him to sail the seas, exploring vibrant coral reefs and sunken shipwrecks, which fuel his imagination and inspire enthralling adventures in his stories. He is also one half of The Two Authors’ Podcast, an informative and entertaining chat show about publishing in today’s book world.
Bill Rapp
Bill Rapp started his adult life as an academic historian on Modern Europe with his Ph.D. from nearby Vanderbilt (M.A.: Univ. of Toronto, B.A.: Univ of Notre Dame). After a year teaching at Iowa State, he left for the greener pastures of Washington, D.C., where he spent the next 42 years working for the Central Intelligence Agency. Most of that time he worked as an analyst in Langley, Virginia--with about a year and a half as a PDB briefer in the White House--but he also enjoyed tours in Berlin, Ottawa, Baghdad, and London. Bill retired in 2017 but continued working for the Agency as a consultant and trainer for another seven years. He has a Cold War thriller series, with The Prague Spring, the seventh book in the series, appearing earlier this year. He also has a three-book PI series set in the Chicago area where he grew up, as well as a stand-alone thriller about the fall of the Berlin Wall, which he experienced--and likes to take credit for--during his assignment in that wonderful city.
Martha Reed
Martha Reed is a multi-award-winning crime fiction author. Love Power, her first NOLA Mystery won a 2021 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award. Her John and Sarah Jarad Nantucket Mystery series won an IPPY Book Award for Mid-Atlantic Best Regional Fiction. Martha currently lives in Pittsburgh and is writing like mad.
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/
Mark Rein
Mark Rein is a Desert Storm era Marine Corps veteran. 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.
C.A. Rowland
Speculative fiction writer C.A. Rowland uses her knowledge of the history, myths, and folklore of the many places she's lived and visited. The natural and made-up worlds come alive for the reader through her characters' adventures and the setting. For more information about the Haunted City mystery series, the Paranormal Paralegal series, her novellas and her short stories, see www.carowland.com.
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.
Zelly Ruskin
Zelly Ruskin is the award-winning author of Not Yours to Keep. A former social worker, she writes domestic suspense exploring the secrets families keep and the resilience that carries them through. When she’s not devising twisty plots, she’s likely traveling or hiking, where the next idea often finds her.