Organized, Inspired, and Just a Little Mysterious.
Who keeps this chapter running, growing, and buzzing with creativity? Meet the powerhouse team behind the scenes. They’re writers, organizers, and mystery lovers who bring it all together. They’re not just board members; they’re the heart of our community.
Dawn Barclay (writing as D.M. Barr), Member-at-Large ( Co-president)
Dawn M. Barclay is an award-winning author who writes psychological and romantic suspense as D.M. Barr and non-fiction under her own name. Her eight published books include Expired Listings, Murder Worth the Weight, and Saving Grace: A Psychological Thriller. Her newest thriller, Deadly When Disturbed, was released by Level Best Books in January 2025. LBB also published the first of her upcoming multi-volume series, Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide. Dawn recently finished her second stint co-editing a Sisters in Crime NY/Tri-state anthology. New York State of Crime, published by Down & Out Books in the fall of 2024, which includes her third published short story, “Orchestral Removals in the Dark”. Her latest anthology, and first solo developmental and editing effort, is Better Off Dead: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Dawn offers developmental and copy editing through SuggestedDevelopment.com, and ghostwrites personal histories and corporate profiles through LegacyQuest.net. A member of ITW, she has served as president of Hudson Valley Scribes, vice president of Sisters in Crime-NY/TriState, and the newsletter author/board member of the NY chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Follow her at www.dmbarr.com.
Nina Mansfield ( Co-president)
Nina Mansfield is a author, playwright screenwriter, actor and educator. She crafts off-beat, female-driven stories. She sticks quirky, high strung characters in unusual situations, and sometimes her writing takes a dark turn. Nina’s short mystery fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies and various publications including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Her ten-minute and one-act plays have had over 100 productions throughout the United States and internationally. Nina’s first novel, Swimming Alone, a YA Mystery was published by Fire & Ice YA.
Nina’s plays have received over 150 productions throught they world. They are published by Smith & Kraus, YouthPLAYS, Original Works Publishing, One Act Play Depot. Most recently, her full-length adaptation of Antigone was published by Stage Partners, and has received multiple productions. Nina is a member of The Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, the Theatre Arts Workshop of Connecticut, The Dramatists Guild, and she is a co-President of the NY/Tri-State Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Nina has degrees from Vanderbilt University and NYU, and studied acting and directing at the Moscow Art Theater. While not writing, Nina teaches high school Drama and English. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, actor Joel Haberli, and their 12-year old daughter.
Elle Hartford, Co-Vice President
Elle Hartford writes cozy mystery with a fairy tale twist. The award-winning first book in her Alchemical Tales series, Beauty and the Alchemist, finds amateur sleuth Red mixed up with murderous beasts and moody beauties, and a set of missing books besides! For other writers and authors looking into “wide” indie publishing, Elle offers coaching as well as the Beyond Writing blog (ellehartford.substack.com) with how-tos and resources. And for free stories and more, sign up for Elle’s newsletter at ellehartford.com.
Rosanne Limoncelli, Co-Vice President
Rosanne Limoncelli, PhD is a writer and filmmaker living in Brooklyn. Rosanne writes plays, screenplays, poetry, games, mysteries, thrillers, and science fiction. Her short fiction first appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and her short films have screened in festivals around the world. Rosanne has been teaching story writing and filmmaking at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for more than three decades.
The historical mystery novel THE FOUR QUEENS OF CRIME launched in March of 2025 and the series continues with DEATH AT KING’S CROSS (July 2026) and MURDER BY THE SEA (July 2027). Rosanne’s thriller series, set in 1979 NYC, begins with THE SPIRAL a Nina Esposito Mystery (October 2026).
Rosanne is the Senior Director of Film Technologies for the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television at Tisch School of the Arts and teaches in NYU’s Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center in the MPS program. She received her BFA in Film Production from the Department of Film & TV at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and her PhD in Teaching Reading, Writing, and Media from NYU’s Steinhardt School and has served as an educational and technological consultant and speaker at many conferences and universities.
John Ferriso, Secretary
John Ferriso is a retired NYPD Sergeant. He is currently a technical Writing Advisor with Sisters in Crime, a Missing Person Instructor with Outliers Writing University, and a Licensed New York State Private Investigator who specializes in missing person investigations. John volunteers his experience as a cold case investigator with the non-profit organization Private Investigations for the Missing. John is referred to as an expert on everything involving missing persons.
His book, ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: An Officer’s Accounts 20 Years NYPD, the 61 short stories of his twenty-year career, has been the topic of podcasts in the USA, Australia, and England. His short story WHAT IF THE POLICE CALLED ALL YOUR CONTACTS? What Would They Say About You? It was published in Psychology Today. His short story, IN A NEW YORK MINUTE: An Officer’s Eyewitness account of the events of September 11, 2001, has been the topic on numerous podcasts. He is writing his new book about how a screenwriter and author can accurately put a missing person investigation into their stories.
John was a former Sergeant of the NYPD’s Missing Persons Squad, field investigating or supervising more than 7,000 cases investigated annually.
If you’d like to get more involved with the chapter, contact us NYTriStateSinC@gmail.com