Carmen Amato

👋 Hey there —

I’m Carmen Amato — an award-winning thriller author and former CIA intelligence officer who writes stories where crime, power, and truth collide.

After 30 years at the CIA, I had sharp problem-solving skills, but no contacts in traditional publishing to open the door to a second career as a fiction writer. When an agent once told me, “Great book, but I don’t know anyone who knows you,” I decided not to wait for permission. Instead, I built my own independent publishing ecosystem and reached readers directly.

Today, I’m the author of 18 thrillers, including the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series, which follows the first female police detective in Acapulco as she takes on cartels, corruption, and social inequality amid the search for Mexico’s missing. The series is a back-to-back winner of the Poison Cup Award for Outstanding Series, has been optioned for television, and was praised by NPR as “a thrilling series.”

My historical thriller Murder at the Galliano Club won the 2024 Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical, and my standalone political thriller The Hidden Light of Mexico City was longlisted for the Millennium Book Award.

🧭 What I Bring to Uptales

I help writers think beyond a single book and start building careers with longevity, credibility, and ownership. My background in intelligence and independent publishing gives me a practical, systems-level view of both storytelling and the business behind it.

I bring:

• Deep experience writing high-stakes thrillers grounded in real-world crime and power
• Proven strategies for building an independent publishing ecosystem
• Insight into developing long-running series that retain readers
• Guidance on credibility, awards, and positioning as an author
• A career-first mindset focused on assets, partnerships, and sustainability

📚 Selected Credentials & Experience

• 30 years as a CIA intelligence officer specializing in technical collection and counterdrug issues
• Recipient of the National Intelligence Award and the Career Intelligence Medal
• Author of 18 published thrillers and mysteries
• Back-to-back Poison Cup Award winner for Outstanding Series
• 2024 Silver Falchion Award winner for Best Historical
• Millennium Book Award longlist honoree
• Detective Emilia Cruz series optioned for television
• Judge for the BookLife Prize and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award
• Essays published in Publishers Weekly, Criminal Element, and other national outlets
• Author of the Mystery Ahead newsletter on Substack

🎤 My Guiding Philosophy

“Great thrillers don’t come from guessing — they come from understanding how power works, how people break, and how systems fail.”

📌 Why Writers Choose Me

• Writing and strengthening thriller or mystery novels
• Developing long-running series with staying power
• Transitioning from traditional to independent publishing
• Building an author career beyond a single book deal
• Positioning, credibility, and awards strategy
• Turning expertise and experience into compelling fiction