who’s behind the names on the ballot
Candidate for President – 1 year
ERYNN CROWLEY is a former urban planner who transferred her real-world community building skills to fictional world-building. She’s had two short stories published and is completing final edits on her unpublished traditional mystery novel. Erynn has been a Desert Sleuths member since 2015 and is a member of three other Sisters in Crime chapters. She also has memberships in the Short Mystery Fiction Society, the Women’s Thriller Writers Association, and Mystery Writers of America. Erynn has contributed regular columns to the Chapter newsletter and served on two WriteNow! conference committees and the Membership Committee. Erynn values the camaraderie and writing support she’s received from Desert Sleuths and would like to give back to the Chapter by serving as president. https://erynnleigh.com, erynncrowley@msn.com
Candidate for Vice President – 1 year
ELAINE WOLFF is the former editor of the San Antonio Current and Out In SA. She found a welcoming community in Desert Sleuths when she moved to Arizona last year. She would love to help the board grow this invaluable resource, especially through in-person meetings like the Sippin’ Sleuths, and tools for navigating the evolving fiction market. She’s been a member of Sisters in Crime since 2020. Her debut novel, Up to Her Neck, will be published by Empress Editions in January 2027. She’s married and has four grown children and two Cairn Terrierists. elainewolff.com, elainewolff@me.com
Candidate for Treasurer – 1 year
JAY KINNEY, an Air Force veteran, spent many years writing and editing information summaries, technical manuals, and instructions for governmental and private-sector employers before retiring and switching to fiction writing. He is a member of Sisters in Crime (four chapters), Mystery Writers of America, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. His short stories have appeared in the 2019 and 2025 Desert Sleuths chapter anthologies, and Black Cat Weekly. Jay and his wife, Rachel, live in Charlottesville, Virginia. http://jaykinneywrites.com, jay17writer@gmail.com
Candidate for Secretary – 1 year
ROBERTA GIBSON’s muse sends her short stories for adults and picture books for children. When her muse is quiet, Roberta gardens, studies martial arts and fends off the affection of four cats. Where to find Roberta Gibson on the Internet: Robertagibsonwrites.com, BlueSky @robertagibson.bsky.social, Instagram @robiegibson. robertagibsonwrites@gmail.com
Member-at-Large – 2 years
KATHERINE ATWELL HERBERT won awards for her poetry from Writers’ Digest and Arizona Authors Association and provided poems for Tucson’s Sisters in Crime anthology. This was in addition to authoring several short stories. Kate has authored three books on writing screenplays, (Skyhorse, NYC) inspired by her film work in Los Angeles. She analyzed screenplays for various production companies, wrote screen and teleplays and served as the story editor for a production company at MGM Television. Her experience also includes newspapers, magazines, publicity writing and photography. For that work she’s won awards from the National Federation and Arizona’s Association of Press Women. Following her Hollywood experience, she was asked to serve as chair of the film and television program at Scottsdale Community College. kateherbert9@gmail.com
Member-at-Large – 2 years
MARGARET MORSE: When characters can kill with magic, the ways to dispatch a victim dramatically increase. After 25 years as a Public Defender, Margaret knows a lawyer can transform into a witch. Margaret lives in Phoenix with her wonderful husband Duane and numerous mutts. When she’s not planning how to kill someone, Margaret loves cooking, bird watching, and visiting stark landscapes. Visit her at https://margaretmorseauthor.com, or marmorse@gmail.com.
Nominating Committee Members:
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- Meredith Blevens
- Erynn Crowley
- Kate Herbert
- Roni Olson
- Paula Barr Skillicorn, MAL
- Roberta Gibson, Chair