Anne Castell

Los Angeles native JERI WESTERSON was born the same day the first nuclear bomb was tested…though not the same year, so she isn’t responsible. She muddled around in life, first thinking to become an actress, woke up during a real world audition and said, “Nope, Nerp. Not doing THIS the rest of my life,” and instead, embarked on a successful career as a graphic designer. But instead of staying there, she made a lateral move and began a career as a writer.

In 2023, she found herself the author of the critically acclaimed King’s Fool Mysteries, the first of which is COURTING DRAGONS, with Will Somers, Henry VIII’s real court jester, as the reluctant sleuth, for which the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW gave it a nice mention in their 2023 pre-summer review "During the Dog Days, Escape to the Old Days."

Her second NEW series of 2023, a Sherlockian mystery in An Irregular Detective Mystery series, was THE ISOLATED SEANCE, where Tim Badger, a former Baker Street Irregular, along with his friend and colleague from the East End Ben Watson, open their own private detecting agency under the discerning eye of Mister Sherlock Holmes himself. A June 2023 release that also received critical acclaim, even named Editor's Choice by Historical Novel Society Review.

Her first mystery series was medieval, with fifteen novels in the Crispin Guest Medieval Noir mysteries, a series nominated for 13 national awards from the Agatha, to the Macavity, to the Shamus and a few other awards in between. However, she is still the Susan Lucci of mystery awards, awaiting her turn.

Her first in the series, VEIL OF LIES was named Editor’s Choice by the Historical Novel Society Review, her third THE DEMON’S PARCHMENT and her fifteenth THE DEADLIEST SIN both received coveted starred reviews by Library Journal, and her sixth, SHADOW OF THE ALCHEMIST, was named Best of 2013 by Suspense Magazine. Also in 2013, her fifth novel BLOOD LANCE was named one of the Ten Hot Crime Novels for Colder Days by Kirkus Reviews. THE ISOLATED SEANCE was also recently named Editor’s Choice by the Historical Novel Society. Jeri also self-published some standalone historicals from her “vault”: THOUGH HEAVEN FALL, ROSES IN THE TEMPEST, and NATIVE SPIRIT (under the pen name Anne Castelle).

Later, she decided to try her hand at an old favorite genre of hers, fantasy. Romantic Times Magazine gave BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN, Jeri’s first urban fantasy series released in 2017, Five Stars and called it “…A flawless tale of adventure, mystery and saucy romance. The page reverberates with passion, and absolutely no wrong can come from vivid characters and a hero to die for.” It finaled for the Seal of Excellence from RT Reviews. It may or may not be noteworthy that Romantic Times Reviews went out of business right after giving her that sterling review. She takes no blame for that either. The series is complete with four novels. Another paranormal series, MOONRISER: A Werewolf Mystery, is a spin-off from the Booke of the Hidden series, funny as heck and sexy.

Her gaslamp-steampunk fantasy trilogy, the ENCHANTER CHRONICLES is also complete at three novels, but not being satisfied with that, she decided that she likes these characters so much, she intends to write another trilogy of their continuing story…in the years ahead. Be on the lookout for that.

Jeri also wrote her humorous SKYLER FOXE LGBTQ MYSTERIES (adult content) under the pen name Haley Walsh. The series is complete with seven novels and three novellas.

She has also written short stories for several mystery anthologies, including the latest South Central Noir edited by Gary Phillips for the Akashic Noir series, with my story “The Last Time I Died” right in there.

Jeri was featured on two local NPR shows, ‘My Awesome Empire” and “KVCR-Arts”. She has served two terms as president of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, as vice president for the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and twice president of the Orange County Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She’s also a founding member of the Los Angeles chapter of the Historical Novel Society, if you’re counting. Jeri has guest-lectured on medieval history at local colleges and museums, and lives a simple life in southern California with her home-brewing husband, a complacent desert tortoise, and a polite gray kitty. If you don’t believe all that, see more at her Wikipedia page and on Jeri’s hilarious YouTube Channel. She forgot to mention she’s very modest.