Juanita R. Violini is a mystery creator and author known for her long career crafting interactive whodunits and exploring the strange edges of reality. For nearly two decades she produced live murder‑mystery events in Vancouver, an experience that shaped her signature blend of solvable puzzles and theatrical fun.
She is also the creative force behind Mystery Factory, a company built on more than thirty years of designing clever, audience‑friendly mystery plots. Mystery Factory grew out of her earlier venture, Masterpiece Mysterys, and continues her mission of helping writers and performers build compelling, fair‑play mysteries.
In this podcast, we will discuss her most recent book, The MYSTERY BONES METHOD DIAGRAMS. It’s a self-guided course that tells you everything you need to know, from beginning to end, about how to plot a murder mystery story.
Angela van Breemen is a graduate of the University of Guelph with a degree in management economics and was a co-owner of a dental supply company. After the company was sold, she turned her focus to writing, music, and volunteering her time at Procyon Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre. In 2024, she published her first novel, Past Life’s Revenge, a crime thriller with a twist of spiritualism. Angela is a Soprano Soloist and a firm believer in giving back to the community.
She lives in Loretto, Ontario, with her husband, Peter Thomas Pontsa, author of the Inspector William Fox Series. In this podcast, we will discuss her second novel in The David Harris and Emma Jackson Mystery series, Revenge is Not Enough.
Dawn Rodger grew up in Scarborough in the 1980s during Paul Bernardo's rampage. She is also a trauma survivor from domestic violence and narcissistic abuse.
She has a BMUS from the University of Western Ontario, and a BEd from the University of Toronto. She is a clarinetist and has played in community bands her entire adult life. She taught elementary school music for twenty-five years.
Dawn has published a previous book, a memoir called I Could Almost Touch the Devil. In this podcast we discussed her debut crime novel, Scattered Garbage. She lives in the Greater Toronto Area with her loving husband, five beautiful children and their beloved dog, Cupcake.
Winnipeg author Joel Nedecky has always loved stories, yet most of his childhood was spent playing hockey. It wasn’t until university that he discovered a passion for all types of fiction. In 2023, his novel, The Broken Detective, was shortlisted for The Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript, sponsored by ECW Press. We are chatting today because The Broken Detective was recently published by Run Amok Crime.
In this episode, we have the editors of A CAPITAL MYSTERY ANTHOLOGY, the mostly retired public relations professional, writer and editor Bernadette Cox, and the award-winning and bestselling author of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series, Mike Martin.
A CAPITAL MYSTERY ANTHOLOGY is presented by THE CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA and features 21 talented mystery authors.
Some of our mysteries are set in modern times, some reach all the way back to Bytown, Ottawa’s original settlement. But what each story features — whatever the setting — is a crime that will leave you wondering, or leave you shocked, or maybe, awake at night, wondering if you should read one more.
A Capital Mystery is a book that celebrates the magic, history and most of all — mystery — that is Ottawa.
Peter Thomas Pontsa is a Canadian author known for his thrilling William Fox Adventure Series, which includes Outfoxed (2023) and Sanctity of Freedom (2025). Before turning to fiction, Pontsa had a distinguished career in the dental industry, authoring numerous techno-clinical articles. After his retirement, he decided to develop his creative writing side by taking a course at the University of Waterloo on Advanced Fiction Writing. He also became active in writers’ groups such as the Wordsmiths and the Crime Writers of Canada.
A passionate British sports car enthusiast and a second-degree black belt in taekwondo, Peter brings realism to his action scenes through personal experience. He lives in Loretto, Ontario, with his wife, author Angela van Breemen, and their orange tabby, Mr. Tee.
As an author of novels (for YA readers and adults), playwright, journalist, and screenwriter, Shane has always been interested in larger-than-life characters, seeking the truth about human beings, and exploring the invisible things that matter to us all. Earlier this year (season 3, ep. 2), I interviewed Shane, and we discussed the first novel in his new Northern Gothic series, “As We Forgive Others”. The novel has received significant recognition, including the 2025 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada, which affirms its literary merit and resonant themes.
In this podcast, we will discuss its sequel, “A Place of Secrets,” published by Cormorant Books.
Joanne Kormylo’s debut novel, THE RESISTANCE DAUGHTER, is a work of historical fiction inspired by true stories. She is the daughter of a WWII bomber pilot and prisoner of war. As part of her research for this novel, she studied her late father’s Wartime Log, interviewed veterans, served on the board of an Air Force Museum, and traveled to the UK, Poland, and Germany. Joanne holds both an MA and a JD, leading to a career as a lawyer and business owner. She has one daughter, Andrea, and resides in Western Canada.
Two years ago, I interviewed Joanne because her story TWO KNOTS was nominated by Crime Writers of Canada for the Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript sponsored by ECW Press in 2023.
Since then, the title changed to THE RESISTANCE DAUGHTER and it’s been published by Hodder & Stoughton publishers in the UK.
Born and raised in Montreal, Rosemary McCracken has worked on newspapers across Canada as a reporter, editor, editorial writer, arts reviewer, and restaurant critic.
Safe Harbor, the first novel in her five-book Pat Tierney series, was a finalist for Britain’s Debut Dagger Award in 2010. It was first published by Imajin Books in 2012, followed by Black Water in 2013 and Raven Lake in 2016. All three were republished by Carrick Publishing in 2018, followed by Uncharted Waters in 2020 and Riversong in 2025.
Rosemary’s short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines. “The Sweetheart Scamster,” a Pat Tierney story in the Mesdames of Mayhem’s anthology Thirteen, was nominated for a Derringer Award in 2014.
Rosemary now lives and writes in Toronto.
Visit Rosemary’s website: here.
Timothy S. Johnston is the author of the Science Fiction/Thriller The Rise of Oceania series, which includes The War Beneath, The Savage Deeps, Fatal Depth, The Shadow of War, and most recently, A Blanket of Steel. He has won the GLOBAL THRILLER Award Grand Prize, the EPIC Award, the CYGNUS Science Fiction Award Grand Prize, as well as the CLUE Award. He has been an educator for twenty-five years and a writer for thirty. He lives on planet Earth, but he dreams of the stars. Visit www.timothysjohnston.com to register for news alerts, read his blog and reviews, and learn more about his current and upcoming thrillers.
In this podcast, we’ll discuss the series, focusing on A Blanket of Steel, which recently won the 2024 Grand Prize in the Global Thriller Awards and the 2024 First in Category award in the Cygnus Awards.