Crime Fiction's Sexiest FEMALE Authors of 2012!

I know you've been anxiously awaiting this year's sexiest ladies of crime fiction. I think I have a good bunch to share with you.

Like with the men, I would like to pay homage to last year's ladies as they certainly have not lost their sexy either. I hope you enjoy the gals joining them in 2012.

SEXIEST AUTHOR FROM ACROSS THE POND

Look, Meg dressed for the sexiest award!

Meg Gardiner is an American of course, but she calls England home these days. So we can include her in this category. She's smart...a three-time Jeopardy champ even. She's witty, kind, generous and of course very talented. If you aren't following Meg on Twitter, you absolutely should be. You'll see all of these qualities reflected in her posts.

For me, I look forward to Bouchercon because I am able to see Meg in person then. No matter how you interact with her, it's impossible not to adore her and she that definitely qualifies her for sexy!

Meg is the author of the Jo Beckett series and the Evan Delaney series. And 2012 brought her first standalone novel, RANSOM RIVER.

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO HAS ALSO WRITTEN A SCREENPLAY

Proof positive that Lisa belongs on this list...doesn't get any sexier than wombats!

Lisa Lutz does indeed have a screenplay to her name, but has sworn that she will not write another. I guess only time will tell that for sure, but personally, I'm just enjoying her books. The author of five Spellman novels and a novel she co-wrote with David Hayward, HEADS YOU LOSE, rumor has it she's now working on a children's book.

Lisa gets credit for introducing me to my favorite curse word(s): "sentence enhancer" and that alone should get her on this list, right? But actually she's hysterically funny and a blast to know. Lisa received the lion's share of personality and it shows in everything she does. Absolutely sexy!

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO ISN'T AFRAID TO GET HER HANDS DIRTY

Rosemary and Max enjoying a book.

A master gardener, Rosemary Harris not only gets her hands dirty in her own garden, but she writes the Dirty Business Mystery Series, featuring Paula Holliday.

That isn't the only way Rosemary gets her hands dirty, though. An avid supporter of Habitat for Humanity, Ro has participated in 6 Habitat builds around the world AND she and her husband have worked very hard on their Chalula Library Project, building a community library in Tanzania. Generosity like that is way beyond sexy!

I also have to add to her list of sexy qualities that she's an animal person. And you all know how I feel about THAT!

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO WROTE UNDER A PEN NAME

Dead or alive, Julie is one sexy dame!

Julie Goodson-Lawes, a.k.a. Juliet Blackwell, a.k.a. Hailey Lind, is one of those people who my good friend Pop Culture Nerd would say needs to be pushed down the stairs. Not because she's mean or nasty but because we envy her. And don't worry, we wouldn't really push her down the stairs because while I am envious of her youthful beauty, her wide range of talents, her intelligence, her sharp wit, her friendly nature...I also adore her as a person. She's never stingy with a smile, a hug or a kind word. You can't help but consider that sexy!


As Juliet Blackwell, Julie writes the Haunted Home Renovation series and the Witchcraft Mystery series. As Hailey Lind, Julie wrote with her sister and together they created the Art Lovers Mystery series.

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHOSE HEART BELONGS IN TWO COUNTRIES

A sexy woman in the sexy city of Paris!

 Cara Black, like her protagonist Aimée Leduc, is an American who loves France. When I contacted her to ask her if I could include her in my selection this year, she informed me that she was in France writing her next book. And by golly, who is she running into over there...none other than Craig Johnson from our sexy male authors list!

The French love her, too. I have to say congratulations because this summer Cara received the Medaille de la ville de Paris.

Cara is one of the most appreciative people I think I've ever had the chance to meet. If you observe Cara when she's at a signing and people are waiting in line, she just gushes over each person and makes them each feel as though they are the reason for her success. And granted they do buy her books, which helps her success, but she makes sure they know she genuinely appreciates their support and interest. That is sexy; I mean, have you ever encountered that author who seems like they couldn't care less about the people waiting in line to have a book signed? And then you witness Cara and she just glows with happiness. It's a sight to behold.

Cara is truly a gem and I'm honored to include her on the list this year!


Aaaaaaaaanddddddd.....

THE SEXIEST FEMALE AUTHOR OF 2012

Kindess is sexy!

Marcia Clark! I would truly like to gush on and on about this woman. I'm fortunate in that I get to interact with her through my work with xuni.com. She's been very generous and has participated in some blog events. AND I finally got to meet her in person this year at Bouchercon. Through all these forms of contact Marcia has simply been a joy to know.

Marcia is incredibly funny. Her sense of humor is priceless. She's very smart, and she's also incredibly kind. I can only speak for myself on this front, but I'm envious of her sense of style. She has a gift...o.k. she has many gifts, but she has that one, too.

Let's add to the list of sexiness, Marcia is also an animal person. I wrote about her social media documentation of the hummingbird born in a nest outside her house, and she's a dog owner. I love that she adopted her dogs. And when you listen to her talk about them, you know what a special person she is.

Oh, my goodness, I almost forget to mention that I love her books, too!  Her female prosecutor, Rachel Knight, is a welcome addition to the crime fiction genre.

Hopefully Marcia isn't going to kill me for snagging this picture off Facebook, but hello, what says sexy better than big lips and the bookworm?

Big lips are this year's sexy!

My many, many thanks to the sexiest female authors this year. They are such great sports and super fantastic people...in addition to being great writers in this genre. I hope that you will check out their work if you haven't already.

And, as I've mentioned before, sexy is subjective, so feel free to let us know in the comments who would be on your list this year! Happy Reading!