When the festival began, most of our authors were of the "cozy mystery" genre, but we also had a couple of suspense authors join us. Our 2014 Featured Authors included: Ellery Adams, Mollie Cox Bryan, Mary Burton, Erika Chase, Vicki Delany, Linda O. Johnston, Annie Knox, Joyce & Jim Lavene, Amanda Lee, Maggie Sefton and LynDee Walker.
In 2015, we expanded the scope of the festival to include traditional suspense, romance and women's fiction authors, since these genres often tend to include multiple mystery elements. Our 2015 Featured Authors included: Sparkle Abbey, Ellery Adams, Beverly Allen, Mollie Cox Bryan, Erika Chase, Eva Gates (who also writes as Vicki Delany), Grace Greene, Nancy Herriman, Mary Ellen Hughes, Maggie King, Joyce & Jim Lavene (who also write as J.J. Cook and Ellie Grant), Judith Lucci, Jamie Mason, Marliss Melton, Mary Miley, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Tj O'Connor, Kathryn O'Sullivan, Mindy Quigley, Fiona Quinn, Amy Reade, B.K. Stevens, and LynDee Walker.
Our 2016 Featured Authors included: Beverly Allen, Betsy Ashton, Frankie Y. Bailey, Kelsey Browning, Mollie Cox Bryan, C.S. Challinor, John Clement, Maya Corrigan, Kathleen Delaney, Eva Gates/Vicki Delany, Grace Greene, Mary Ellen Hughes, Maggie King, Kimberly Lang, Mary Lawrence, Gayle Leeson/Amanda Lee, Alice Loweecey, Judith Lucci, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Tj O'Connor, Kathryn O'Sullivan, Mindy Quigley, Amy M. Reade, B.K. Stevens, Art Taylor, Wendy Tyson, LynDee Walker, and Linda Wiken/Erika Chase (*Sparkle Abbey was scheduled to attend but their flight was canceled at the last minute and they were unable to make the festival). While we were devastated to lose Joyce Lavene in October 2015 and her husband Jim Lavene in May 2016, as they were such devoted friends of the Festival, we were also delighted to host their son, Christopher, who graciously signed books on their behalf at the festival.
Our 2017 Featured Authors included: Betsy Ashton, D.B. Corey, Maya Corrigan, Tracee de Hahn, John DeDakis, Barbara Early/Beverly Allen, Diane Fanning, Gerrie Ferris Finger, Grace Greene, Jenna Harte, Maggie King, Christina Kovac, Eleanor Kuhns, Judith Lucci, Allie Marie, Nan O'Berry/Tessa Berkley, Tj O'Connor, Alan Orloff/Zak Allen, Leigh Perry/Toni L.P. Kelner, Karen Pullen, Amy Reade, Shawn Reilly Simmons, B.K. Stevens, Lane Stone, Marcia Talley, Art Taylor, Christine Trent, and Heather Weidner.
Our 2018 Featured Authors included: Betsy Ashton, Christy Barritt, John DeDakis, Tracee de Hahn, Barbara Early,
Diane Fanning, Marni Graff, Grace Greene, Charlaine Harris (co-headliner), Jenna Harte, Aimee Hix, Mary Ellen Hughes, Roger Johns, Toni L.P. Kelner (co-headliner), Maggie King, Eleanor Kuhns, Gayle Leeson, Con Lehane, Alice Loweecey, Judith Lucci, Allie Marie, Sujata Massey, Mary Miley, Julie Moffett, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Tj O'Connor, Alan Orloff, Amy M. Reade, J.R. Ripley, Lane Stone, Marcia Talley, Art Taylor, Christine Trent, LynDee Walker, and Heather Weidner.
The 2019 roster of authors included: E.A. Aymar, Christy Barritt, Catherine Bruns, Ellen Butler, Lynn Cahoon, Austin Camacho, Lynn Chandler Willis, Maya Corrigan, Mollie Cox Bryan, John DeDakis, Tracee de Hahn, Barbara Early, Marnie Graff, Grace Greene, Bradley Harper, Sherry Harris, Jenna Harte, Nancy Herriman, Aimee Hix, Maria Hudgins, Mary Ellen Hughes, Julie Hyzy (headliner), Roger Johns, Diane Kelly, Maggie King, Alice Loweecey, Allie Marie, Mary Miley, Julie Moffett, K.L. Murphy, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Bill Rapp, Amy M. Reade, Shawn Reilly Simmons, J.R. Ripley, Marcia Talley, LynDee Walker, and Heather Weidner.
The 2020 Festival was postponed (due to COVID) to an all-virtual format in March 2021, and our Featured Authors included:
Betsy Ashton, E.A. Aymar, Melissa Bourbon, Catherine Bruns, Ellen Butler, Lynn Cahoon, Austin Camacho, Maya Corrigan, Mollie Cox Bryan, John DeDakis, Diane Fanning, Kellye Garrett, Marni Graff, Bradley Harper, Mary Ellen Hughes, Sara E. Johnson, Wendy H. Jones, Diane Kelly, Dana King, Libby Klein, Eleanor Kuhns, Tara Laskowski, Gayle Leeson, Allie Marie, Catriona McPherson, Julie Moffett, K.L. Murphy, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Alan Orloff, Bill Rapp, Amy M. Reade, Katharine Schellman, Shawn Reilly Simmons, Art Taylor, Grace Topping, Marcia Talley, Abby Vandiver, LynDee Walker, and Heather Weidner.
In 2015, we expanded the scope of the festival to include traditional suspense, romance and women's fiction authors, since these genres often tend to include multiple mystery elements. Our 2015 Featured Authors included: Sparkle Abbey, Ellery Adams, Beverly Allen, Mollie Cox Bryan, Erika Chase, Eva Gates (who also writes as Vicki Delany), Grace Greene, Nancy Herriman, Mary Ellen Hughes, Maggie King, Joyce & Jim Lavene (who also write as J.J. Cook and Ellie Grant), Judith Lucci, Jamie Mason, Marliss Melton, Mary Miley, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Tj O'Connor, Kathryn O'Sullivan, Mindy Quigley, Fiona Quinn, Amy Reade, B.K. Stevens, and LynDee Walker.
Our 2016 Featured Authors included: Beverly Allen, Betsy Ashton, Frankie Y. Bailey, Kelsey Browning, Mollie Cox Bryan, C.S. Challinor, John Clement, Maya Corrigan, Kathleen Delaney, Eva Gates/Vicki Delany, Grace Greene, Mary Ellen Hughes, Maggie King, Kimberly Lang, Mary Lawrence, Gayle Leeson/Amanda Lee, Alice Loweecey, Judith Lucci, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Tj O'Connor, Kathryn O'Sullivan, Mindy Quigley, Amy M. Reade, B.K. Stevens, Art Taylor, Wendy Tyson, LynDee Walker, and Linda Wiken/Erika Chase (*Sparkle Abbey was scheduled to attend but their flight was canceled at the last minute and they were unable to make the festival). While we were devastated to lose Joyce Lavene in October 2015 and her husband Jim Lavene in May 2016, as they were such devoted friends of the Festival, we were also delighted to host their son, Christopher, who graciously signed books on their behalf at the festival.
Our 2017 Featured Authors included: Betsy Ashton, D.B. Corey, Maya Corrigan, Tracee de Hahn, John DeDakis, Barbara Early/Beverly Allen, Diane Fanning, Gerrie Ferris Finger, Grace Greene, Jenna Harte, Maggie King, Christina Kovac, Eleanor Kuhns, Judith Lucci, Allie Marie, Nan O'Berry/Tessa Berkley, Tj O'Connor, Alan Orloff/Zak Allen, Leigh Perry/Toni L.P. Kelner, Karen Pullen, Amy Reade, Shawn Reilly Simmons, B.K. Stevens, Lane Stone, Marcia Talley, Art Taylor, Christine Trent, and Heather Weidner.
Our 2018 Featured Authors included: Betsy Ashton, Christy Barritt, John DeDakis, Tracee de Hahn, Barbara Early,
Diane Fanning, Marni Graff, Grace Greene, Charlaine Harris (co-headliner), Jenna Harte, Aimee Hix, Mary Ellen Hughes, Roger Johns, Toni L.P. Kelner (co-headliner), Maggie King, Eleanor Kuhns, Gayle Leeson, Con Lehane, Alice Loweecey, Judith Lucci, Allie Marie, Sujata Massey, Mary Miley, Julie Moffett, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Tj O'Connor, Alan Orloff, Amy M. Reade, J.R. Ripley, Lane Stone, Marcia Talley, Art Taylor, Christine Trent, LynDee Walker, and Heather Weidner.
The 2019 roster of authors included: E.A. Aymar, Christy Barritt, Catherine Bruns, Ellen Butler, Lynn Cahoon, Austin Camacho, Lynn Chandler Willis, Maya Corrigan, Mollie Cox Bryan, John DeDakis, Tracee de Hahn, Barbara Early, Marnie Graff, Grace Greene, Bradley Harper, Sherry Harris, Jenna Harte, Nancy Herriman, Aimee Hix, Maria Hudgins, Mary Ellen Hughes, Julie Hyzy (headliner), Roger Johns, Diane Kelly, Maggie King, Alice Loweecey, Allie Marie, Mary Miley, Julie Moffett, K.L. Murphy, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Bill Rapp, Amy M. Reade, Shawn Reilly Simmons, J.R. Ripley, Marcia Talley, LynDee Walker, and Heather Weidner.
The 2020 Festival was postponed (due to COVID) to an all-virtual format in March 2021, and our Featured Authors included:
Betsy Ashton, E.A. Aymar, Melissa Bourbon, Catherine Bruns, Ellen Butler, Lynn Cahoon, Austin Camacho, Maya Corrigan, Mollie Cox Bryan, John DeDakis, Diane Fanning, Kellye Garrett, Marni Graff, Bradley Harper, Mary Ellen Hughes, Sara E. Johnson, Wendy H. Jones, Diane Kelly, Dana King, Libby Klein, Eleanor Kuhns, Tara Laskowski, Gayle Leeson, Allie Marie, Catriona McPherson, Julie Moffett, K.L. Murphy, Nancy Naigle, Nan O'Berry, Alan Orloff, Bill Rapp, Amy M. Reade, Katharine Schellman, Shawn Reilly Simmons, Art Taylor, Grace Topping, Marcia Talley, Abby Vandiver, LynDee Walker, and Heather Weidner.