Meet the Authors

ACES founder Stephen H. Provost is the author of 50 books on a wide variety of topics, ranging from science fiction adventures to highway histories. He spent more than 30 years as a journalist at five California newspapers. He lives in Carson City and is the publisher of Dragon Crown Books.

Richard Alexander is a retired northern Nevada school district administrator whose first novel, Glimmer, was published on Amazon in 2020. The sequel, BBTB, is coming out soon. He also plans a collection of short stories titled Bear Slobber Delight, and a nonfiction book, Always Pee First.

Richard Arbib of Reno is a New York City native who earned a master’s degree in English and creative writing from San Francisco State University. His short fiction has been published in Mensa Bulletin, and his debut paranormal romance novel, The Vampire Girl Next Door, was a finalist in the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.

Reno author Rene Averett has written a number of cookbooks, specializing in low-carb recipes. A native of El Paso, Texas, she blogs regularly on her Skinny Girl Bistro site. She also writes fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal suspense novels as Lillian I. Wolfe, and cozy mysteries as Riona Kelly.

Curtis Bent has been a Nevada resident for 20 years. His novels focus on human rights and ecological awareness. His roots are in Stockton, where his family was in agriculture and I worked the canneries. He taught at Richmond Elementary School in 1968 and has also helped develop a K-12 therapeutic day treatment program based on Ken Burns’ “9 Innings.”

Kathleen Berry managed Truckee Meadows Community College’s Nevada Ghost and Paranormal Series for years and has worked with many of the West's best paranormal investigators and psychics. She is the author of a spirituality memoir, A Reluctant Spirit: A True Tale of God, Ghosts and a Skeptical Christian and writes a regular blog at www.kathleenberry.com.

Reno author Gavin Black made his debut in 2021 with the publication of Crop Burner: The Tale Of Fearn & The Deamhon, a fantasy novel on Global Book Publishing in the tradition of C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, and Neil Gaiman.

Tori Briar (she/her) lives in the high desert at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and earned her English (writing emphasis) degree from Loyola Marymount University. She was awarded the 2006 NV Arts Council fellowship for literature. Her first novel, Falling, is a YA paranormal romance set in a fictional city in the Sierra foothills.

Northern Nevada resident Bill Brown is an Emmy Award-winning retired anchorman whose first novel, "Blood Mountain," is a story based on fact and legend that he first wrote 40 years ago. " He’s the author of sixteen novels, all of which begin with an actual occurrence and are supernatural thrillers with proven scientific twists.

Taylor Burke is an award-winning journalist by day and a humor and satire writer by night. Coupled with her sardonic wit and warm heart, Taylor’s work gives life to her grandeur delusions of making it as a stand-up comic one day. She has received an abundance of validation that she is, in fact, a good author, so there's that. Taylor travels as a news reporter, which has led to experiences including considering a pet snake, hugging Stone Cold Steve Austin, and attempting to white water raft.

Kristina Charles is a Nevada native. Her debut novel, Murder on the Mesa: A Violet Vaughn Southwestern Mystery #1, was published in 2023. She lives on the edge of a wetland with an octogenarian, a tween, three cats and a squirrel.

Jay Crowley is the pen name for Judie Crowley. She lives in Jack's Valley near the base of Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Her stories originate in Nevada, set in places such as the Sutro Tunnel and the Lahontan City ghost town, many providing “a little history with a mystery.”

Author and artist Martin A. David has lived in Mexico, California, Paris, Rome, and Copenhagen. Now living with his wife, Carol, in Reno, he is the author of several books; his writing has been influenced by his work as a modern dancer and choreographer.

Robert Drews is the author of “Look for Something Good.” Born and raised in the Bratwurst Capital of the World, he went on to work at newspaper copydesks around the United States and overseas until settling in Carson City with his beloved wife Lisa.

Sue Dugan is the author of middle-grade and young adult fiction., including stories with paranormal and romantic themes. As an educator, she wrote a textbook titled Teach Yourself Keyboarding. Her debut novel, A Slow Climb Up the Mountain, appeared in 2019.

Journalist and author Karen Dustman is the author of more than 15 nonfiction books whose freelance articles have appeared in magazines such as Westways, Family Circle, and Ladies’ Home Journal. She publishes books dedicated to the untold stories and forgotten sites of the Sierra on Clairitage Press. She also publishes romance novels as Abby Rice.

Reno resident J.E. Ellis began writing professionally in 1994. His novel The Hordes of Rage won the grand prize in WriteSafe’s Present-A-Thon contest for the first quarter of 2006. He also wrote the REMI-award (2008, Silver) winning documentary, A Glimpse of Heaven and a Taste of Hell, which aired on PBS in July of 2008.

Michael K. Falciani, a native of upstate New York, is the author of the ongoing fantasy series The Raven and the Crow. The first installment, Dark Storm Rising, kicks off a planned six-book series. The second book in his series, The Raven and the Crow: The Gray Throne, is also available, along with a steampunk epic fantasy that revolves around dwarves called, The Dwarves of Rahm: Omens of War.

Award-winning Northern Nevada author L.F. Falconer specializes in fiction that explores the darker side of human nature with character-based stories that fuse magic and the supernatural with reality. She enjoys oil painting and exploring the Nevada desert and old mining camps.

Clare Frank began firefighting at 17 and served as the state of California’s first and only female chief of fire protection. A Lake Tahoe resident, she published her acclaimed book Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire in May of 2023.

Tammy L. Grace is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning fiction author based in Fallon who writes women's fiction, mysteries, and holiday stories. A Nevada native, she also writes also writes under the pen name Casey Wilson and has released two books, A Dog's Hope and A Dog's Chance.

Jade Griffin is the author of the Lacy Moore journals. She is also the creator of several tabletop roleplaying games — available at drivethrurpg.com — and author/illustrator of the long-running fairytale-superhero webcomic 56 SHARDS.

Jamie Lee Hamann is the author of a one novel, a collection of short stories, and numerous poetry collections. He lives in Reno with his three children and three cats, and works as a Histotechnologist at Renown.

Sparks author and award-winning songwriter Kim Harnes is the author of Still Photo, a YA mystery novel on Evernight Teen. Her writing incorporates the paranormal, the bizarre, and the unexplained.

Kelli Heitstuman-Tomko is an Idaho-born author and writer who lives in Fallon. She has covered crime, business, agriculture, and tourism for newspapers and publications in Colorado and Wyoming. She has won awards for her columns and storytelling in journalism. She writes police procedural mysteries, and supernatural stories with a touch of sci-fi.

Retired educator Gail Hertzog lives with her husband, Bill, in the high desert town of Winnemucca, setting of her novel, Crossing the Ford. Crossing the Ford has received ten writing awards, including two first place awards from Chanticleer International Book Awards and two first-place awards from Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.

R. Hess is the author of "Preparing for Winter: An 1896 Western Adventure" (2016), available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle eBook.

MC Hunton is a bright personality with a shockingly dark taste in the stories she writes. Resurrection, the debut novel in her ongoing series, The Martyr Series, won first place in the fantasy category in the Writer's Digest Best Self-Published E-Books of 2022 competition, as well as in the paranormal category in the 2023 Indie Reader Discovery Awards.

C.W. James and Dorian Rockwood are pen names of an author who lives in rural Northern Nevada with two rescue cats. Under his real name, he has published four middle to upper-grade nonfiction books, as well as approximately two dozen magazine articles on topics such as movies and computer tutorials. He is a full member in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Danielle Kathleen curently resides in Reno with her husband. Writing has been a true passion since childhood, after she used to create pop out books and write whatever came to her imagination. Murder mysteries and thrillers are books she is facinated by, as it is endless intrigue.

Lisa Kirkman spent her career in advertising and made her published debut in The ACES Anthology with her story “Rebecca on the Streets,” from her forthcoming novel, Black Cat Walks in the Moonlight, about a family and connections that never truly break. She lives on Lake Tahoe’s rugged Nevada shore with her husband and daughter.

J. Butler Kyle has written several travel guides for family and friends, one down Mexico’s Baja, and the other across I-80- Reno to Kansas City. No Exit Necessary: Reno, NV to Adelanto, CA is her first published guide. She has also ghost-written three memoirs.

Carson City’s Sandie La Nae has written several books in the historic-paranormal genre, as well as books on poetry, minerals, and, with Arline La Ferry, the “Weird” series. She is also a psychic, spirit sensitive, remote viewer, paranormal investigator, and TV-radio host.

Angela Laverghetta lives among the Sierra Mountains, sagging bookshelves, and way too many pets. Her novel The Buried Knight, the first book in The Innisfail Cycle, publishes August 30, 2023.

Carson City author Monica Marchinko grew up in New Jersey and is a 2007 graduate of The Institute of Children’s Literature. Her book I Want to Be an Elf is available in paperback and hardcover, and a second children’s book is due out soon.

Vermont native Peter B. Mires moved west in 1990, two years after receiving his Ph.D. in historical geography from Louisiana State University. He has taught at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Delaware. His publications include several books, including his Tahoe Trilogy and more than fifty scholarly articles, book reviews, and op-ed pieces.

Richard Moreno has written extensively about the state of Nevada, its history and its geography. Also the author of three books on Illinois, he is the 2007 recipient of the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame’s Silver Pen Award.

Ashley Hanna Morgan a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) specializing in Perinatal Mental Health and the author of a collection of poems on Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. In 2016, she wrote a curriculum and started the first free support group in Los Angeles for parents with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety, after she worked through it personally. Ashley lives in Reno with her husband, Jayson, her dog, Obi Wan, and her two daughters. She is working on a mystery novel.

Winnemucca author Kisa Murrin started writing poetry as a child and continued throughout her life. She made her debut in 2021 with her romantic suspense, Escaped from Rage, the first novel in the Fist of Rage Series. She followed that up with three more novels completing the series, the most recent in June 2023.

Marie Navarro began her career as a contributing writer to the San Jose Mercury News and a staff writer for El Observador. Her first novel, "A Bridge in the Forest,." was inspired by a moonlit night in the woods. When she isn't spending time with her family, Marie can often be found hosting a vendor booth at a local event or working in Reno communities helping her fellow citizens. Her hobbies include planting fairy gardens, writing novels, and singing along (loudly and off-key) to rock music.

Suzanne Neeley is the author of Greystanes - a Novella, and Making Time – The Zephyr Sphere, a historical fantasy adventure. She is also the editor of two nonfiction works and is the author/creator of a nationally recognized Notary journal. Suzanne began her writing career as an obituaries writer for the Mail Tribune, in Medford, Ore. and lives in Northern Nevada.

Northern Nevada poet Kathy Nelson grew up in the southern Appalachian Mountains and has worked as an engineer, teacher, and chaplain. Her poetry has appeared in several publications, and she was awarded the 2019 James Dickey Prize. ). She is the author of the full-length collection, The Ledger of Mistakes on Terrapin Books.

Virginia City resident Janice Oberding is a historian, true crime buff, paranormal enthusiast, and investigator. She is also the author of more than 30 books on topics ranging from ghosts to true crime to history, the strange and unusual, and mystery. She writes nonfiction and fiction. She is also a public speaker who has appeared on numerous TV shows and documentaries.

Author Michael Oka lives in Northern Nevada with his wife and three children. He primarily writes fiction thriller and suspense fiction, occasionally crossing into horror. His favorite hobbies include creative arts, reading & tabletop roleplaying games

Sharon Marie Provost is the managing editor of Dragon Crown Books Ltd., publisher of more than 40 books. A longtime Carson City resident, she served as the co-editor of The ACES Anthology 2023. Her short story "The Shining Night" appears in that volume and will also appear in the forthcoming collection of short stories "Shadow's Gate,” along with several of her other works.

Peggy Rew is a professional pet nanny, published wordsmith, copy editor, and pet care educator. A pet rescuer since the ‘70’s, Rew has touched the lives of more than 4,000 animals: dogs, cats, horses, goats, reptiles, llamas, fish, bunnies, and birds, etc. Her penned creations include poetry, short stories and hundreds of published articles.

Jacqueline Church Simonds of Reno is the author of The Heirs to Camelot, an urban fantasy/paranormal romance series. She’s also a publisher and book distributor and runs the Self-Publisher’s FAQ website.

Reno resident Marti Tote is a spiritualist and life coach who writes true stories with a self help twist. Her third book, Can You Ride a Raindrop to the Ocean? tells the true story of her abusive childhood. Her passion is her writing, and she enjoys spending time with her horses.

Jacci Turner has written several books in the young adult and inspirational/spiritual categories. A resident of Nevada’s high desert, she has been a therapist, school counselor, campus minister, and mother. middle-grade book, Bending Willow, represented Nevada at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. and was a finalist for the Wishing Shelf Contest.

Reno-area writer Kitty Turner is the former co-owner of the 12 Galaxies nightclub in San Francisco and founder of Daily House Media. She writes dystopian tech thrillers rooted in social commentary. Her novel Zone Trip is due out in August 2023.

Kathrin Swanson Valerio is a Northern Nevada author whose memoir, Salvation Is A Glazed Doughnut, won the Honorable Mention award at the Los Angeles and San Francisco Book Festivals.Description goes here

Nevada resident A.J. Wildman wrote her first novel at the age of 22. Her novels touch on genres including science fiction, the paranormal, and romance. Wildman’s writing brings bringing a ramshackle bunch of characters to life as she weaves fantastic tales with well-written words and a dash of romance.

Suzanne Morgan Williams is the author of more than a dozen books for readers ten and up, including her upper MG/YA book, Sierra Blue, and the young adult novel, Bull Rider, which won a Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. She is a Nevada Arts Council teaching artist and Regional Advisor Emerita of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators, Nevada Region.

Sparks author Kurt Winans is the author of the political action thrillers and historical science fiction novels. He has released a trilogy of novels in each of those genres. His books are suitable for most age groups.

Susan Winters is a paralegal and freelance writers whose articles have appeared in the Reno News & Review and local parenting magazines. She writes contemporary and paranormal romance as Mariposa Cruz, and conducts interviews on her site, Create on the Side!

P. Edmonds Young is the author of The Leaving Time, a book of historical fiction that includes chapters on Virginia City. An avid hiker and backcountry explorer, he lives outside Virginia City.