about Sandra Balzo...
Sandra Balzo is an independent public relations consultant with many clients in the publishing industry, including the 1999, 2003 and 2005 World Mystery Conventions (Bouchercon). After spending twenty years in public relations, publicity and event management, she dropped out of corporate life and formed Balzo Communications.UNCOMMON GROUNDS -- out from Five Star Mysteries and nominated both for an Anthony Award by the World Mystery Convention, and a Macavity Award from Mystery Readers Internationsl -- marks Balzo's first foray into book-length fiction. The second book in the Maggy Thorsen coffee series, GROUNDS FOR MURDER, will be released by Severn House later this year. Her first short story, THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER, was published in the March 2003 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, and won both Mystery Writers of America's Robert L. Fish Award for Best First Short Story, and Mystery Readers International's Macavity Award for Best Short Story of 2003.It also was nominated for the World Mystery Convention's Anthony Award. Her second story, VISCERY, was in the December 2004 issue of EQMM, and was a Macavity nominee and winner of the Derringer Award. In her corporate life, Balzo was assistant vice president and manager of special events for Firstar Corporation, a regional bank holding company. In that role, she was responsible for development, management and promotion of Firstar's special events for more than ten years. Those events included the Firstar Fireworks, which drew a half million people to Milwaukee's lakefront each year and was telecast live during prime time on the local NBC affiliate. Balzo also developed, managed and publicized Firstar Eve, a family-style New Year's Eve celebration which, at its inception in 1986, drew 4,500 people. Ten years later, the event attracted 100,000 people to 103 parties in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Firstar Eve, too, was covered live on local television -- this time, on the CBS affiliate. Balzo handled all media associated with the events, acting as corporate spokesperson in television, radio and print. Balzo lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children. When she's not writing or doing publicity, she likes to run, swim and play tennis. In October of 2002 she ran her first marathon, finishing twentieth in her age group. |
