Minnesota Mystery Night

David earned a Bachelor of Science in Honors English from the United States Naval Academy. (That’s not a typo. He’s probably the only English major you’ll ever meet who took multiple semesters of calculus, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, naval architecture, and weapons systems just so he could read some Shakespeare. It was totally worth it.)

After meeting Tom Clancy and reading The Hunt for Red October as a midshipman at the Naval Academy, he served six years as a commissioned officer in the nuclear-powered submarine force chasing the Russians in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. When the Soviet Union collapsed, David left the Navy for corporate life. For two decades, he schlepped his way around the globe as an itinerant executive in the high-tech sector, and did a stint with a Silicon Valley startup.

David is the author of 25 novels, including the six-book SynCorp Saga series about a corporate takeover of the solar system with co-creator Chris Pourteau.  His short fiction has appeared in dozens of magazines and anthologies. 

With retired naval intel officer JR Olson, he now writes contemporary national security thrillers that look less like fiction every time he checks the news. The next installment in their long-running collaboration, Alpha Strike, comes out July 21st.

A graduate of Minneapolis Washburn High School, Jon Olson was commissioned in May 1990 from the US Naval Academy with a BS in History. He spent 21 years on active duty with over three years at sea aboard aircraft carriers and large-deck amphibious assault ships. 

Along the way, he earned an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies at the US Naval War College, as well as logged 35 jumps as a US Navy Parachutist. His final assignment before retirement was as the US Naval Attaché at the US Embassy in Helsinki, Finland. 

During his career, Jon was trained by the CIA to serve as a case officer for the Department of Defense, recruiting spies for America through strategic-level clandestine human intelligence (HUMINT) operations. 

After retiring from the navy in 2011, Jon returned home to Minnesota and earned a Master of Public Affairs at the Humphrey School while simultaneously teaching national security courses at Carleton College and Metropolitan State University. 

Jon co-authors national security thrillers with his fellow Annapolis graduate David Bruns. The two co-authors have 13 publishing novels and six novellas.

Jon and his wife, Melissa, turned their home int0 an assisted living facility for elderly, abandoned dogs, and they love every minute of the chaos that has ensued for the past 14years. 

CIA veteran Carmen Amato is the author of the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series pitting the first female police detective in Acapulco against cartels, corruption, and social inequality as she hunts for Mexico’s missing. Starting with Cliff Diver, the series is a back-to-back winner of the Poison Cup Award for Outstanding Series from CrimeMasters of America. Optioned for television, National Public Radio hailed it as “A thrilling series.”

Carmen’s historical fiction thrillers include Murder at the Galliano Club, which won the 2023 Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical.

Her standalone political thriller The Hidden Light of Mexico City was longlisted for the 2020 Millennium Book Award.

Carmen is a recipient of the National Intelligence Award and the Career Intelligence Medal for her contribution to national security including counterdrug efforts. A judge for the BookLife Prize and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award, her essays have appeared in Criminal Element, Publishers Weekly, and other national publications.

After years of globe trotting, she and her husband enjoy life in Tennessee.

To learn more about Carmen and subscribe, go to carmenamato.net.