Daisy Bateman is a longtime writer and fan of mysteries, and a member of MWA for more years than she would care to admit. Under her own name, she is the author of two books in the Lefty- nominated Marketplace Mysteries series, and as Stacie Grey she writes standalone psychological thrillers, the most recent of which is She Left.
Mission Statement: I joined MWA early in my writing journey, and it has been an invaluable source of guidance and community for me throughout my publishing career. As the president of the NorCal MWA board, I will be committed to expanding the membership and diversity of the chapter, and seeking ways for both the local and national organizations to support our members and protect their interests.
Bryan Patrick Avery: At the age of 7, Bryan Patrick Avery discovered a love of reading and mysteries after receiving his first Bobbsey Twins Mystery book. Today, he is an award-winning poet and author of more than a dozen books for children. His middle-grade story, “The Magic Day Mystery”, appears in SUPER PUZZLETASTIC MYSTERIES, an anthology from HarperCollins and the Mystery Writers of America. His Jake Maddox JV Mysteries, Off Base and Soccer Suspicions were released earlier this year by Stone Arch Books. Bryan is the 2021 recipient of the SCBWI Work in Progress Award for his chapter book mystery The Robot In The Library. He is also the author of The Freeman Field Photograph, Black Men In Science, and the chapter book series, Mr. Grizley’s Class.
Mission Statement: I have always found MWA to be an inviting and inclusive organization. As a member of the NorCal Board, I will work to bring the joys of the mystery genre to the next generation of mystery readers and writers.
Dale Berry is a San Francisco-based writer, artist, and publisher who has produced stories, articles, comics, and graphic novels since 1986, for both major publishers and independently (including contributing to the latest MWA Handbook: How To Write A Mystery). He has additional background as a professional stagehand, scenic designer, and almost thirty years’ experience as a disc jockey and on-air radio personality. In 2016, Dale became the first comics creator to be published in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Mystery Magazine,” and his second graphic short story for them was submitted for an Edgar Award consideration in 2017. Communication and storytelling are his life.
Mission Statement: As a Board Member for MWA NorCal, I hope to bring my diverse skills and talents to the job of assisting, expanding, and promoting our impact in the mystery community and beyond, in whatever ways I can. Just as MWA NorCal has made a home for me, I’d wish to return that opportunity to all our current and potentially future members.
Vera Chan is a short-story author, aspiring novelist, and veteran journalist who has served on several Bay Area boards, including the California Crime Writers Conference (the sole NorCal volunteer for the SoCal event), Exceptional Women in Publishing, and Sisters in Crime (NorCal). She is currently director of news and media for Steelwork, a consulting agency working with companies on narrative architecture.
Mission Statement: I’d like to bring to the MWA chapter my experience in technology (editorial product teams at Microsoft and Yahoo) which would include AI ethics policies, brand strategy, and revenue growth.
M.M. Chouinard is the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author behind The Vacation, a standalone psychological thriller, and the bestselling author of The Detective Jo Fournier series. She loves animals, coffee, amateur genealogy, and anything to do with Halloween, Serial Killers, or the zombie apocalypse.
Mission Statement: What I hope to contribute: My books are published through a primarily digital traditional publisher, so I have some experience with that fast-growing area of publishing. And when we meet in person again, I also make one heckuva cranberry salsa.
Margaret Dumas is the author of the bestselling Movie Palace Mysteries, set in a classic movie theater in San Francisco which is populated by the kind of people she’d love to hang out with. She also authored the popular Married to Mystery series, the first of which, Speak Now, was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger award.
Mission Statement: As a longtime member of MWA NorCal, I’d like to give back to the community that has been so supportive and welcoming.
Chuck Freadhoff always dreamed of being a novelist and began writing professionally as a reporter for a small daily in Ontario, California. He has published six thrillers starting with Codename Cipher (published by Walker and Company) followed by Blue Rain and A Permanent Twilight (published by Harper Collins), and self-published two traditional thrillers, City of Serpents and A Plague of Iron as well as a humorous thriller, Free Booze Tonight. After twenty-five years in journalism, he moved into corporate writing and media relations, and retired seven years ago after ten years as the director of media relations for a major investment management firm headquartered in Los Angeles.
Mission Statement: I believe MWA is a valuable resource for writers whether it’s helping them learn more about structure and dialogue, or offering advice on self-publishing. As a member of the NorCal Board, I will work to inspire writers and help them gain and master the tools they need to succeed.
Lexa M. Mack is an avid mystery reader and writer. She lives with her husband, a very fat cat, 8 chickens, and 40,000 honeybees in the Sierras between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Her next goal in life is to upgrade her MWA membership to Active Status. She published her first mystery, Legacy of Lies, in 2022 and her second book, Litany of Lies, in 2024.
Mission Statement: To work with other members of the board to energize, coordinate, and facilitate communication, camaraderie, and sharing in the diverse and far-flung reaches of the NorCal Chapter. The 21st-century version of “Hey, gang, let’s put on a show,” (Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, circa 1930s).
Laurie Sheehan is a Program Analyst for the Department of Defense, working at the Naval Postgraduate School. She does get to handle some cool unmanned systems, but there’s not much cloak and dagger to her job. She has a degree in Cultural Anthropology (heavy on archaeology with a lot of physical anthropology and forensic anthropology tossed in). She’s currently working on The Modern Speakeasy Mysteries and plans to return to an earlier series based on an archeologist, Delaney Cross.
Mission Statement: Laurie is a long-time member of MWA and is eager to help others the way so many MWA members have encouraged and supported her.
Faye Snowden is the author of The Killing series (Flame Tree Press) featuring homicide detective Raven Burns. The second book in the series, A Killing Rain, was released on June 21st. She steals writing time in her multigenerational household with two adult children, three if you count her husband, one new grandson, and two rowdy dogs intent on protecting the family from bandits every time the doorbell rings.
Mission Statement: Aside from being one of the bestselling genres in the country, the mystery genre is important because it gives writers from all backgrounds an opportunity to explore societal themes while thoroughly entertaining the reader. A good mystery is like a sneak attack. We need organizations like MWA to help lift up those voices, and give the mystery genre and all its subgenres the space to be a part of the literary conversations in this country.
Mysti Berry is a short-story author and the editor of Low Down Dirty Vote, an Anthony-nominated anthology series. She is also a technical writer for a cybersecurity software company and is hard at work on her first historical suspense novel.
Mission Statement: A longtime member of the chapter, I hope to give back the generous amounts of advice and support that members of this chapter have shared with me over the years. I’m a fierce advocate for always paying writers and taking action on diversity and inclusion goals.