Interviews
Making it Up with Carter Wilson
Bring Life to Characters with R Weir
Uncorking a Story with Mike Carlon
Play of Shadows by Crime Novelist Barbara Nickless on Tea, Tonic, and Toxin
Facing Fears and Writing Unique Characters: Joanna Penn and Barbara Nickless
Killer Women with Danielle Girard and Barbara Nickless
Sunlit Interview: Barbara Nickless focused this Sydney Parnell mystery on vulnerable workers
Donnell Bell and Barbara Nickless: At First Light
The Big Thrill: Interview by Jon Land
Articles and Essays
Barbara Nickless’ interests in Greek mythology, geopolitics connected in mystery (The Colorado Sun)
Rising Stars: Meet Barbara Nickless (Voyage Denver)
Pandora Papers inspired Barbara Nickless to shine light on pilfered antiquities (The Colorado Sun)
Female Protagonists in Crime Fiction: What You Need to Know by Barbara Nickless
How Far Will You Go … to Get Your Story Right? by Barbara Nickless
Downloadable Media
200-Word Bio
Barbara Nickless is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of nine novels, including the award-winning Sydney Parnell series, the Evan Wilding novels, the standalone spy thriller The Drowning Game, and A Voice in the Dark. Her Sydney Parnell novels have been praised for their originality and emotional force, and her work has earned multiple Colorado Book Awards and other honors. Several of her books have been optioned for screen adaptation.
In addition to writing fiction, Barbara is a teacher, speaker, and activist. She teaches creative writing at the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience and has worked with combat veterans, civilians, and others affected by trauma in both the United States and Ukraine. Her teaching focuses on the ways story can help people process loss, shattered memories, and moral injury.
Barbara also writes An Unquiet American, a Substack exploring war, crime, espionage, and power through the lens of literature. A former fencer and falconer, she lives in Colorado, where she spends as much time as possible in the mountains.
Speaker/Festival bio
Barbara Nickless is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of nine novels, including the award-winning Sydney Parnell crime series, the Evan Wilding novels, the spy thriller The Drowning Game, and A Voice in the Dark. Her work has won multiple major awards, including the Colorado Book Award, and several of her books have been optioned for television and film.
A novelist, teacher, speaker, and activist, Barbara also teaches creative writing at the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, where she works with veterans and others affected by trauma. She has taught in both the United States and Ukraine, helping combat veterans and civilians use writing to process grief, memory, and moral injury. Her broader work explores the relationship between story, suffering, war, and resilience.
Barbara is also the author of An Unquiet American, a Substack devoted to literature, war, crime, and espionage. She lives in Colorado, where she hikes, caves, and snowshoes; her research travels have involved military checkpoints, hostile terrain, and very good notebooks.
Affiliations and Research
Professional Affiliations
• North American Society for Intelligence History
• Mystery Writers of America
• Sisters in Crime
• Association of Former Intelligence Officers, Colorado board member
• FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association
Selected Study & Certification
• Certified in Infrastructure Protection and Security
• Global Espionage and Intelligence Services
• Open Source Intelligence
• Transnational Repression in the Homeland: Foreign Government Covert Activities
• Systems Intelligence