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Tony Hillerman Writers Conference: Focus on Mystery Faculty
Meet our published mystery and suspense authors:
Michael McGarrity
Louis Bayard
Craig Johnson
Pari Noskin Taichert
Sandi Ault
Judith Van Gieson
Steve Havill
Joe Badal
Paula Paul
Barbara Peters, founder, Poisoned Pen Press
Peter Joseph, editor, St. Martin's Press
Christine Barber, winner of the 2007 Hillerman Prize for best first mystery novel
And literary agents Betsy Amster, Tony Outhwaite and Liz Trupin-Pulli
Our presenters:
Sandi Ault is the award winning author of "Wild Indigo" and "Wild Inferno." "Wild Indigo," her first book, won the Mary
Higgins Clark Award, a special Edgar Award. "Wild Inferno" was published in 2008 to rave reviews. Ault lives among the
pines in a high mountain valley of the Rocky Mountains where, in addition to writing novels, she is a volunteer firefighter
and a Fire Information Officer responding locally and nationally to wildfires. A popular teacher and speaker, she lives in
the mountains of Colorado with her husband Tracy, her wolf Tiwa, and her Missouri wildcat, Buckskin.
www.sandiault.com
Joseph Badal is the author of two published thrillers, "The Pythagorean Solution" and "Terror Cell." The film rights to
"The Pythagorean Solution" have been sold and the mass market paperback was released in late 2005. This book was a
Barnes & Noble top-5 national best selling paperback. Badal worked for thirty-five years in the banking and financial
services industries, including his own consulting firm. Prior to his finance career he served in the U.S. Army in critical,
highly classified positions, earning numerous military decorations. He recently retired from the Thornburg Companies
and is “thrilled” to be a full-time writer. http://josephbadalbooks.com/
Christine Barber, winner of the 2007 Hillerman Prize for best first mystery, is an award-winning journalist as well as a
certified emergency-medical technician and firefighter. She lives in Albuquerque, N.M. where she is currently pursuing a
career in medicine. She worked as an assistant city editor, columnist, and features writer at the Santa Fe New Mexican
for 10 years and as a journalist for the Albuquerque Journal and Gallup Independent. Christine’s book, "The
Replacement Child," received the inaugural Hillerman Prize sponsored by WORDHARVEST and St. Martin’s Press.
Barber credits Tony Hillerman’s mystery novels set in Navajo country as the inspiration for her move to New Mexico.
Louis Bayard is the author of "The Pale Blue Eye" (HarperCollins), a national bestseller nominated for both the Edgar
and Dagger awards, and "Mr. Timothy" (HarperCollins), a New York Times Notable Book and one of People magazine's
10 best books of 2003. Louis' novels have been translated into eight languages, including Spanish, French, Portuguese
and Russian. His newest book, The Black Tower, was released by HarperCollins in August, 2008 and received starred
reviews in Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly. The author is also a staff writer and book reviewer for Salon.com, and his
articles and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Ms., Nerve.com and Preservation. His
other novels include "Fool's Errand" and "Endangered Species" (Alyson). He is also a contributor to the anthologies The
Worst Noel and Maybe Baby (HarperCollins) and 101 Damnations (St. Martin's). http://www.louisbayard.com/
David Boop is a single dad and returning college student. Dave, who lives in Denver, was a journalist before turning to fiction. He’s published a dozen short stories and written two short films. His weird western stories have appeared in magazines like Tales of the Talisman and SF Trails and sci-fi shorts in the anthologies Wondrous Web Worlds and Space Pirates. A fixture on the convention circuit, he’s spoken at such literary gatherings as Mile High Con, Coppercon and Norwescon. His novel, She Murdered Me with Science, debuted in August, 2008. His general interests include noir, Mayan history, and The Blues.
Steve Havill is the author of 14 mysteries set in the fictitious Posadas County, N.M. Publisher’s Weekly called his
detective Undersheriff William Gastner, "surely one of the most appealing heroes to come along in a while”. After "Bag
Limit," Gastner retired from law enforcement, and his trusted associate Estelle Reyes Guzman took over as protagonist
of the newly launched Posadas County Series, debuting with "Scavengers." Havill spent a number of years in the
newspaper business as reporter, photographer and editor. For more than a decade, he worked as an editorial associate
with Writer’s Digest correspondence workshops. He taught at the secondary and high school students for 25 years
before retiring in 2000 to devote his time to writing mysteries.
Dennis F. Herrick is on the journalism faculty at the University of New Mexico and is the author of "Media Management in
the Age of Giants," Blackwell Publishing 2003 (formerly Iowa State Press). In 2004 he won the inaugural Tony Hillerman
Mystery Short Story Contest and in 2005 he had his short story "Hunting Season" published in Cowboys & Indians
magazine Before his work as a college professor and writer, Herrick was owner and publisher of a group of weekly
newspapers and a shopper in Iowa. Under his leadership his newspapers won numerous awards for news coverage,
editorials, photography and design. For more than 10 years Herrick was also a reporter with daily newspapers in
Michigan. His newest book will be published by Gibbs Smith Publisher.
www.unm.edu/~cjdept/department/profiles/herrick.html
Tony Hillerman is the best-selling novelist and author of over 28 books. He is a former president of the Mystery Writers of
America and has received its Edgar and Grand Master Awards. Other honors include the Los Angeles Times’ Robert
Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, the Center for the American Indian’s ambassador Award, the Silver Spur Award
for the best novel set in the West, and the Navajo Tribe’s Special Friend Award. Tony’s Leaphorn/Chee mystery, The
Shape Shifter (HarperCollins 2006), won the Spur award from Western Writers of America for Best Novel. National
Public Television’s MYSTERY! premiered his novel, Skinwalkers, the first American production in the show’s 22-year
history. Coyote Waits and Thief of Time followed. Hillerman first encountered the Navajo culture, which influences his
novels, after WWII, where he earned the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and two Bronze Stars for his service in France. He
graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in journalism. His early career included several posts on
newspapers in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, as well as professorships at the University of New Mexico.
Craig Johnson has received both critical and popular praise for his novels "The Cold Dish," "Death Without Company",
"Kindness Goes Unpunished," and "Another Man's Moccasins" (Viking Penguin), with starred reviews in Kirkus and
Booklist. Moccasins (Viking/Penguin) the fourth in the Walt Longmire series, was released in spring, 2008 with a 34
town book tour. Johnson credits his work in law enforcement in a large metropolitan department in the east and his
earlier life in West Virginia for giving him insights that made writing the mystery novel a little easier. He was the 2005
winner of the Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Contest and has been a Hillerman Conference favorite ever since. Craig and
his wife Judy live on a ranch in Ucross, WY, population 25. http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/
Peter Joseph is an associate editor at Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press, and was instrumental in
the establishment of the Hillerman Prize for best first mystery set in the Southwest. He has worked on titles by authors
such as Michael Palin and director Norman Jewison. His list includes popular history such as Curious Scotland: Tales
from a Hidden History, a biography of the rock band Modest Mouse, the story of the Baghdad Zoo, the memoir of Nobel
prizewinner Dario Fo, and several novels. He is interested in acquiring both fiction, particularly mysteries, historical and
literary novels, and nonfiction, with a focus on pop culture, history, film, music, and humor. Peter is also an associate
editor at Popmatters, U.S. editor of AE Magazine, and departments’ editor of Lost Magazine.
Rob Kresge is the 2008 president of the Albuquerque chapter of the national mystery writers and readers organization Sisters in Crime. He has written a Civil War spy novel, now being considered for publication, and a series of historical mysteries set in 1870s and 80s Wyoming, the first place in world in which women could vote. Rob is also a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. A retired Army Reservist and CIA officer, he was a founding member of the Counterterrorist Center. On 9/11, Rob served as the senior warning analyst responsible for terrorist attacks against U.S. interests. He and his wife Julie have lived in Albuquerque since 2002.
Michael McGarrity. one of New Mexico's best know authors, is an honor graduate of the New Mexico Law Enforcement
Academy, a psychotherapist, and a college instructor who became a full-time writer in 1996 with the publication of
"Tularosa." Publisher’s Weekly called his debut novel one of the best books of the year. McGarrity kept at it, and the11th
novel in the Kevin Kerney series, Death Song, was published in 2007 by Dutton. His mysteries, set in New Mexico and
sometimes elsewhere, have been nominated for the Anthony Award, a Dilys Award, and Spur Awards from the Western
Writers of America. In 2004 the state of New Mexico honored him with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.
http://www.michaelmcgarrity.com/
Paula Paul is the award-winning author of twenty-three novels for children and adults, including "Symptoms of Death"
and "Half a Mind to Murder." She is a native and lifelong resident of the Southwest. She earned a B.A. in journalism, has
worked as a reporter for newspapers in Texas and New Mexico, and been the recipient of state and national awards for
her work as a journalist. Her work includes mysteries, historical fiction, and literary novels. "Crazy Quilt," published by
the University of New Mexico Press in 2005 was a Willa Award for contemporary fiction given by Women Writing the
West. Paul’s new literary novel, Inherited Sins, is set in 1940s West Texas. www.paulapaul.net
Barbara Peters is an ex-librarian who turned to a life of crime selling mysteries when she and her husband Robert
Rosenwald founded Poisoned Pen Press in 1996. She also started Scottsdale Arizona’s famous mystery bookstore,
The Poisoned Pen, more than a decade ago. Barbara sees consolidations in the publishing industry as a serious threat
to cultural diversity and to the survival of the independent bookstore, ultimately becoming a subtle form of censorship.
Poisoned Pen Press’ mission is making books available, whether originals or reprints, to today’s mystery audience.
Peters and Rosenwald will be honored at Bouchercon this year with a lifetime achievement award.
www.poisonedpenpress.com
Wolf Schneider has a prominent and illustrious career in the magazine world. Most recently she was consulting editor at
Southwest Art, and previously the editor of Living West. As editor-in-chief of the regional lifestyle magazine "The Santa
Fean" from 2000 to 2002, Schneider attracted such notable Western writers as John Nichols, Jim Harrison, Michael
McGarrity, Virginia Campbell, and Stanley Crawford. Before moving to New Mexico, Schneider was a prominent
L.A.-based entertainment magazine editor. Her entertainment and lifestyle magazine credits include scores of articles for magazines and USA Today. She has taught filmmaking at UCLA, the AFI, and the College of Santa Fe. Her novel, "What We Wanted," wasoptioned for film adaptation.
Pari Noskin Taichert celebrates New Mexico’s quirkiness through Sasha Solomon, a reality-challenged, whipped-cream
dependent PR consultant who helps small towns with tourism projects. The two-time Agatha Award nominee’s newest
book, "The Socorro Blast," was published by the University of New Mexico Press in 2008. Unlike Sasha, Pari is married,
has kids, and leads a normal life. She is working on a 4th Sasha Solomon book and starting a new series featuring
Darnda Jones, a singularly misanthropic and quirky psychic. Prior to writing full time Pari worked in corporate and
nonprofit settings as an expert in public relations.The mystery website she founder, murderati.com, was nominated for
an Anthony AWard in 2008. www.parinoskintaichert.com
John Trudel is Founder and Managing Director of The Trudel Group (TTG), a high technology business development consulting firm that he established in 1988. Besides his work as a consultant, he is an inventor, engineer, multi-engine instrument-rated pilot, columnist, speaker, writer, novelist, and the author of two high tech business books, Engines of Prosperity and High Tech with Low Risk. John’s main interest these days is fiction, expanding agent connections and raising interest to get his novels properly placed. Three of John's novels are agented. He recently completed his fourth novel. http://www.trudelgroup.com
Judith Van Gieson is the author of two successful mystery series: Claire Reynier (University of New Mexico
archivist/librarian) and Neil Hamel (Albuquerque lawyer/sleuth). Both have been regional and IMBA (Independent Mystery
Booksellers Association) bestsellers. She has received critical acclaim and numerous awards for her books. Her work
also includes thirteen mysteries, a collection of short stories and poetry, and a children’s book. Van Gieson was born in
New York City and has called New Mexico home since 1981. She lives in Albuquerque’s North Valley, started ABQ
Publishing with author Don Bullis in 2005 to promote New Mexico authors, and is at work on a memoir.
www.judithvangieson.com
AGENTS
Betsy Amster is president of Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises, a literary agency in Los Angeles. Before opening her
agency in 1992, she spent ten years as an editor at Pantheon and Vintage (divisions of Random House), and two years
as editorial director of the Globe Pequot Press. A frequent instructor at UCLA Extension’s Writers Program, Amster also
runs publishing workshops at The Loft, the acclaimed literary center in Minneapolis, and at the Squaw Valley Community
of Writers. She has been described in the L.A. Times as “a dogged prospector of …literary talent” and celebrated in a
profile in the American Society of Journalists and Authors newsletter for her “no-nonsense style and whimsical sense of
humor.” Her clients include bestselling mystery writers Sandi Ault and Hannah Dennison.
Tony Outhwaite has been an agent at the JCA Literary Agency in NYC since 1984 and previously worked at Oxford
University Press, Horizon Press, and St. Martin’s Press. He has published articles on jazz, culture, and politics in
National Review, Chronicles, Jazz Actuel, and other journals and has just completed Whistle Stop Chords, a book about
the jazz organ club circuit of the 1950s and 1960s. This book will be published in 2009. He has been on the board of
PEN American Center and was Chair of PEN’s Translation Committee from 1996-2002. Outhwaite’s personal interests
include thrillers and mysteries. JCA represents writers in many genres with a specialty in mysteries, crime and
suspense fiction (including true crime), literary fiction, and serious non-fiction. http://www.jcalit.com
Elizabeth Trupin-Pulli has been involved in publishing for 35 years, starting in the contracts department at New American
Library and then as an editor at Fawcett Books. In 1975, she and Jim Trupin founded JET Literary Associates, Inc. in
New York. Their offices relocated to Santa Fe, N.M. and Vienna, Austria in 2000. JET represents the full range of adult
and YA fiction and non-fiction and is actively seeking new mysteries. www.jetliterary.com
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