Draft:Judy M. Kerr

Judy M. Kerr (born 1961) is an American author primarily writing crime fiction in the mystery genre focused upon lesbian characters and themes. She writes the MC McCall suspense novels and is working on the fourth book in the series.

Personal life
Kerr was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and comes from a small, middle-class family. She married in her early 20s, had a boy and girl, and later divorced. In 2013, she married her long-time partner in Minneapolis. She worked for the federal government before retiring and turning to editing and writing full-time. According to Kerr's website, "Judy has chosen postal-related storylines and characters in her writing in honor of this venerable organization that has been such a huge part of her life."

Writing career
Kerr has long been interested in writing. She took writing and editing classes at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. These included mystery courses with award-winning author and instructor Ellen Hart, and she took novel writing and queer fiction classes from Lori L. Lake as well. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, and as a member of the Golden Crown Literary Society, she has sat on panels, attended conventions, and served as GCLS Awards Administrator for a two-year stint.

In 2017, Kerr published her first piece of writing, a short story called "Stamped Unnatural," in the anthology Time's Rainbow: Writing Ourselves Back Into American History, issued by Launch Point Press. She has had two other stories accepted for anthologies as well. She continues to write other short stories and seek homes for them.

In 2019, Kerr's first novel, Black Friday: An MC McCall Novel of Suspense was published, featuring a lesbian Postal Service Inspector and her trusty straight male sidekick. This first novel was nominated for a Debut novel award, Best Mystery, and the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award at the [Golden Crown Literary Society]. About this first novel, Award-winning author and MWA Grandmaster Ellen Hart wrote: “Judy Kerr may be the new mystery kid on the block, but Black Friday is a crime novel you won't want to miss. This engaging debut will not only have you guessing as you move deeper into the story, but perfectly sets up the next in the series. Highly recommended!”

The second book in the series, Silent Service (2021) was also a hit. Upon hearing a reading from the novel about the actions of its main character, MC McCall, author/interviewer Jazzy Mitchell said, “Good description of MC and her focus on solving the murder of her partner.” In a review about Silent Service, author Marlene Chabot wrote: “The author's book two is a great follow-up to her first novel. Postal Inspector MC McCall struggles with an alcohol addiction she had under control while her loved one was alive. The hunt for the unknown killer and McCall being told to stay out of the investigation does nothing but add fuel to the fire. Will she get fired from her job for crossing the line?”

The third in the MC McCall series, Postmarked Castle Cove, will arrive in 2024. Meanwhile, Kerr and fellow author, Jessie Chandler are working on a True Crime novel based upon the infamous unresolved Virginia Piper kidnapping that occurred in Minnesota in the Seventies.

Novels

 * Black Friday, (2019) [ISBN 9781633042032]
 * Silent Service, (2021) [ISBN 9781633040373]
 * Postmarked Castle Cove, (forthcoming, 2024)

Short stories

 * "Stamped Unnatural" in Time's Rainbow: Writing Ourselves Back Into American History (2017) [ISBN 9781633040328]
 * "Ruby Red Heist" in Dark Side of the Loon: Where History Meets Mystery (2018) [ISBN 9780999437100]
 * "Chewy Beats Crunchy" in Cooked to Death Vol. IV: Cold Cut Files (2019) [ISBN 9781732021624]

Select Interviews/Podcasts

 * Live Readings with Jazzy Mitchell
 * Women & Words Interview with Jessie Chandler