Daniella Bernett
Daniella Bernett is president of the New York Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She is also a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and the Crime Writers Association. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in journalism from St. John’s University. Lead Me Into Danger, Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Grave, A Checkered Past, When Blood Runs Cold, Old Sins Never Die, Viper’s Nest Of Lies, A Mind To Murder, and Betrayed By The Truth are the books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. She has served as a panelist at ITW’s ThrillerFest conference and for MWA. Additionally, she is the author of two poetry collections, Timeless Allure and Silken Reflections. Daniella is currently working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure.
Hal Glatzer
Our VP, Hal Glatzer, is a novelist, playwright, and performer in New York. His latest novel, The Nest, is a modern-day cozy that breaks some conventions of the genre. But he’s best known for writing historicals. His Katy Green mysteries are set in the years just before World War II, and his Sherlock Holmes pastiches are set, authentically, in Victorian/Edwardian times. When Glatzer is not working as an author, he’s working as a musician, playing guitar and singing the “Great American Songbook” from Tin Pan Alley and Broadway. His site is www.halglatzer.com. Email at info@halglatzer.com
Doug Harrell
Doug Harrell is a writer living in Wilmington, Delaware. His primary interest is mystery and suspense, but he occasionally writes in other genres (such as “Delaware Beach Fiction!”). He is an active and current board member of Mystery Writers of America, NY, and Sisters in Crime.
David Bushman
David Bushman is the author of five traditionally published nonfiction books, including three on true crime: Murder at Teal’s Pond: Hazel Drew and the Mystery that Inspired Twin Peaks (2022, Thomas + Mercer) and Forget It, Jake, It’s Schenectady: The True Story Behind ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ (Fayetteville Mafia Press, 2023), and his latest book, New York’s Coldest Cases: 10 Murders That Shocked the Empire State (Globe Pequot, 2026). He was a television curator at The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of TV + Radio) for over two decades. Prior to that he was program director at TV Land and TV editor at Variety.
Carol Binkowski
Carol Binkowski has loved mysteries ever since discovering Nancy Drew. She now writes her own under the pen name Caryl Janis. A relative newcomer to mystery writing, her first, To Sketch a Killer, and her latest, Research Can Be Murder (Amazon.com: Research Can Be Murder: 9781509254477), are both urban cozies set in Manhattan and the surrounding areas. A freelance musician, she is also the author of nonfiction books about music and history. You can find her online at: www.caroljbinkowski.com and www.caryljanis.com.
John E. O’Rourke
John O’Rourke retired from the New Jersey State Police in 2011 after a 26-year career in law enforcement and criminal investigation. During his tenure, he conducted hundreds of investigations ranging from misdemeanors to homicide, resulting in more than 300 successful criminal convictions. His assignments took him across the full spectrum of New Jersey policing—from the rural back roads of Sussex County to the dense urban environments of Newark, Elizabeth, and Paterson—providing him with broad operational and investigative
experience. Following his retirement, O’Rourke transitioned into the private sector, where he works full-time as a security consultant specializing in emergency preparedness and response. He provides
strategic security consulting services to global corporations and some of the most prestigious residential properties in the northeastern United States. In addition to his consulting work, O’Rourke is an accomplished author. He has written and published four nonfiction books with The History Press, all of which remain in active circulation.
His work focuses on law enforcement history, true crime, and investigative storytelling. He is currently working on I Live, You Die (working title), the second novel featuring his contemporary detective protagonist, August Nolan. O’Rourke holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Thomas Edison State College and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Training and Development from Seton Hall University. He is a member of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS).
Yvonne Ventresca
Yvonne Ventresca’s publications include the award-winning novels Pandemic and Black Flowers, White Lies as well as two nonfiction books and several short stories. She received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and, in addition to her creative work, has taught over thirty writing workshops. She’s a longtime member of MWA, ITW, SIC, and The Authors Guild. You can learn more at her website YvonneVentresca.com, where she blogs about creative productivity and features author resources, or follow her online @YvonneVentresca.
R. J. Koreto
Suzanne Trauth
Suzanne is the author of the suspense novel The First to Die, the Dodie O’Dell mystery series—Show Time, Time Out, Running out of Time, Just in Time, No More Time, and Killing Time—and What Remains of Love, a historical romance (Firebird, American Book Fest, Chanticleer book awards), as well as plays and nonfiction books. In her previous career, she spent many years as a university professor of theater, and when she is not writing, she coaches actors. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Dramatists Guild, and the League of Professional Theatre Women and has appeared on many panels at Bouchercon Mystery Conferences. She lives in Woodland Park, NJ. http://www.suzannetrauth.com
Nev March
Nev March, past president of the NY Chapter, is the first Indian-born author to receive the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Award for Best First Crime Fiction. Her debut novel, Murder in Old Bombay, won an Audiofile award and was an Edgar and Anthony finalist. The New York Times listed it as one of the “best crime novels of 2020.” Nev’s historical mystery series deals with issues of identity, race, and moral boundaries. She teaches creative writing at Rutgers University’s Osher Institute and enjoys writing novels and screenplays. Reach her at http://www.nevmarch.com