Samantha Skal

A fan of the scary, mysterious, and suspenseful, Samantha Skal (she/her) is an Author Accelerator certified book coach who specializes in coaching mystery, thriller and suspense authors from novel planning through through drafting/revision, all the way to agent pitching. She especially loves brainstorming twists and finding her way out of plot holes. An agented thriller author, she is currently working on her debut novel, a serial killer thriller.

She is the Co-Founder of Shadows & Secrets, the retreat for mystery and thriller writers, and is mega-excited for 2024’s retreat (September 25–29) in the most haunted hotel in Salem, MA. She is also the 2024 Co-Executive Director of Thrillerfest, International Thriller Writers (ITW)’s annual writing conference; a frequent presenter for ProWritingAid; and a volunteer mentor for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). An enthusiast of homemade sourdough and cheese of all kinds, Sam lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, adores (scary) stories that keep her up at night, kayaking on calm water, and good red wine. To learn more about Sam’s coaching options (including her mini-course for blocked thriller writers), visit her at https://www.samanthaskal.com.