Liisa Kovala, President
Liisa Kovala is an award-winning Finnish-Canadian author, book coach, and podcaster. She is the author of Like Water for Weary Souls (House of Karhu 2025), Sisu’s Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022), and Surviving Stutthof (Latitude 46, 2017). She writes the Hygge House Nordic Cozy Mystery series under the pen name A. L. Jensen. Liisa is the current president of Toronto Sisters in Crime, past president of Sudbury Writers’ Guild, and is a board member for Wordstock Literary Festival. Liisa is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada, The Writers’ Union of Canada, Canadian Authors Association, and Book Coaches Canada. She is a newly certified Asahi Nordic instructor. Website: liisakovalabookcoach.com
Terry Martens, Vice President
Terry Martens is an aspiring writer of crime fiction and true crime. She is a member of Sisters in Crime Toronto and the Hamilton Mountain Writers’ Guild. Her stories have been include in The Hamilton Mountain Writers’ Guild Anthologies V and VI. Terry lives in Hamilton, ON where she is currently researching and working on her first “True Crime” novel.
Renate Simon, Treasurer
Renate Simon is a reader, though there lurk vague writing ambitions deep in her subconscious. She does, however, have an editing background. Years ago, Renate was assistant editor for our Crime Scene newsletter, and worked on all three of our "The Whole She-Bang" anthologies. Before that, she worked as an editor of maps and scientific reports for the Ontario Geological Survey. Her education consists of studying Geology at the University of Toronto, and Information Processing at Seneca College. Renate made her living as a computer technician before retiring. She's dabbled in designing websites for fun, and wastes a lot of time doom scrolling on Facebook, see facebook.com/renate.simon.7. She loves reading and has collected books for many years, so many, that now she is downsizing a locker full of them. Her favourites are mysteries, fantasy and science fiction, and any manner of cross-overs between them, especially the cozy and humorous ones. Even better if they feature cats, dogs and horses. Good thing then that mysteries seem to have the most sub-genres of any fiction.
Jan Field, Membership Secretary & Programming
Jan Field is the author of the Matt Brennan mystery series set in Northern Ontario. The first book, Yesterday’s Lies, was released in October 2025, and the second book, Silence of the Deep, is to be released in 2026. She was born in Sudbury, Ontario, attended Laurentian University and spent her working life involved in marketing tourism accommodation, both in northern and southern Ontario She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters-in-Crime, Toronto Chapter, and the Writers Community of Durham Region and currently lives in Durham Region. Website: janicefield.com
Cheryl Freedman, Newsletter
Cheryl Freedman is a long-time freelance editor who edits anything she finds interesting, including crime fiction, academic papers, Jewish mysticism books and articles, memoirs, and more. She was the executive director of Crime Writers of Canada for 10 years as well as the sometime-chair of the Bloody Words Mystery Conference and the current chair of its successor, the annual Bony Blithe Mystery Mini-Con. Cheryl produced the program books for Bloody Words for many years, for the World Science Fiction Convention (Torcon) in 2003, and for the SFContario conventions. She also produced Fingerprints Online (the CWC online newsletter) as well as their annual book catalogues and event handouts. Cheryl is currently working on two crime series, parlaying (1) her interest in ferrets, fairy tales, and folklore into a fairy tale mystery series featuring a half-ogre/half-human PI and a bipedal talking, fedora-wearing ferret, and (2) her interest in demons, dybbuks, and Jewish and contemporary folklore into an urban fantasy mystery series. She’s had a number of short stories published in various Mesdames of Mayhem anthologies.
Gina X. Grant, Social Media
Gina X. Grant is an award-winning author of cozy mysteries, fantasy, and romantic misadventures. Her twisty, witty stories are full of sharp turns, big heart, and the occasional laugh-out-loud moment. Website: ginaxgrant.com
Holly B. Gutwillinger, Secretary
Holly B. Gutwillinger is an award-winning author, podcaster, and MFA student in fiction at the University of King’s College, whose work is defined by emotional honesty, curiosity, and a profound love for cats and dogs. She calls a small northern Ontario town home, though her journey has taken her through remote parts of northern Canada, experiences that have expanded her worldview, strengthened her resilience, and instilled a deep appreciation for the wide variety of traditions and cultures that define the Canadian human experience. A self-made creative, Holly has built her literary and podcasting path from the ground up, navigating the challenges of the writing life with an unwavering commitment to telling the stories that matter most. Website: ramblingsfromthelittleshed
Maaja Wentz, Past President
Maaja Wentz concocts tales of magic and mystery. Her first novel, Feeding Frenzy: Curse of the Necromancer, won a Watty Award. Her locked-door mystery, “Inside of a Dog,” appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, which called it “very original.”