starting a family at the close of Partners inCrime (1929). We find them at the opening ofN or M? (1941) anxious to contribute to thewar effort and, despite parenthood, theybecome involved in tracking down Germanspies. By 1968 and By the Pricking of myThumbs, they are both middle-aged but with,in Christie’s own words, “spirit unquenched.”In the last book that Christie wrote, Postern ofFate (1973), they are elderly detectives investi-gating (not very convincingly, it must be admit-ted) the dark history of their new home. It isclear that Christie retained a lifelong affectionfor her husband-and-wife creation.

Bundle and FrankieWith similar spirit is the next sister-in-crimecandidate, Lady Eileen Brent. Like her prede-cessor she is better known by a nickname, Bun-dle. She drives an expensive sports-car, has ahectic social life and is the bane of Lord Cater-ham, her staid father’s life. She appears in two

Agatha Christie, the first “Sister”by John Curran

novels, The Secret of Chimneys (1925) andThe Seven Dials Mystery (1927), and in eachtitle she tackles kidnapping, robbery, murder,and romance with enviable élan.

We meet another titled female with littleregard for the niceties of the class system thatprevailed at that time in Why Didn’t TheyAsk Evans? (1934). Lady Frances Derwent—again with a nickname, Frankie—is so similarto Bundle that a minor mystery is whyChristie didn’t bring Lady Eileen back forone more adventure. Living in a castle anddaughter of another lord, Frankie takes timeout from her hectic social whirl to join forceswith her more impoverished friend, BobbyJones, to solve the puzzle of the last words(the book’s title) of a dying man. Like Bundle,she takes dead bodies, car crashes, imper-sonation, and kidnapping in her glamorousstride.

Victoria and HilaryIn the 1950s, two independent women, bothwith a yen for travel as well as adventure,appeared in They Came to Baghdad (1951)and Destination Unknown (1954). Althoughthe plots of both books are untypical Christie(foreign travel spy story), and preposterousat that, Victoria Jones (They Came to Bagh-dad) and Hilary Craven (DestinationUnknown) carry on the Christie tradition ofstrong-willed women in a man’s world. Bothcharacters reflect Christie’s own travel expe-riences and most of the places visited by thecharacters were visited by Christie herself.Admittedly, Victoria sets off on her adven-ture in pursuit of a man, but her independentspirit stands her in good stead during hersubsequent masquerade as an anthropolo-gist, in the course of which she is kidnappedand almost murdered.

the Sisters in Crime QuarterlyVol. 25, No. 3

In her own life Agatha Christie blazed atrail for female contemporaries—travel-ling around the world in 1922, crossing

Europe alone aer her 1928 divorce, livingregularly in the desert on archaeological digsfor many years thereaer, dominatingLondon”s West End theatre world (still theonly woman to have three plays runningsimultaneously), and, along the way, becom-ing the best-selling writer of all time. Herstatus as the sister in crime is indisputable,but how many readers realize that in thepages of her books she also created many“fellow” sisters?

TuppenceThe first of her spirited, independent youngwomen is Prudence Beresford, nee Cowley,known to her friends and acquaintances asTuppence. Although not as famous as eitherHercule Poirot or Miss Marple, Tuppenceappeared in print the year after Poirot madehis debut and many years before Jane Marplesolved The Murder at the Vicarage. In 1922we meet Tuppence in the opening lines ofThe Secret Adversary (“Tuppence, old bean!”)where we learn that she is the daughter ofan Archdeacon and that, like her creator, sheworked in a hospital during World War I.Like many women of the time she had littleformal education (again, like her creator) ortraining, but was anxious to see life beforedomesticity beckoned. As an outlet for herundoubted spirit, courage, and zest for life,she joins forces with Tommy Beresford tobecome The Young Adventurers.

Tommy and Tuppence have the distinctionof being the only Christie characters to agegradually between appearances. They marryat the end of The Secret Adversary and are

See “Christie,” p. 7

LegendIn 2008, the board of directors of Sisters in Crime implemented a new strategicplan. Three goals emerged from this plan: inSinC articles will be marked withicons to represent the appropriate goal.

Advocacy, monitoring, and reporting

Professional education and career development

Membership growth, networking, and forums for members

Get a Clue Agatha Christie, the First “Sister”

John Curran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Frankie Speaks

Frankie Bailey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Editor’s Note

Molly Weston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3SinC Joins WPA—Again

Lee Lofland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Chapter Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Beth’s Bits

Beth Wasson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5SinC into Great Writing

Cathy Pickens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Writing Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7SinC Links—a BSP-Zone

Nancy Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Changes and Chances

Kate Flora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Law & Fiction

Leslie Budewitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Creative Collisions

Katherine Ramsland, PhD . . . . . . . . . . . .11SinC Board Nominees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Book Signing Checklist

Nancy J. Cohen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Conferences & Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . .14SinC Loves Libraries

Debra H. Goldstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15The Docket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

inSinC the Sisters in Crime Quarterly

The mission of Sisters in Crime is to promote the professional development and advancement of women crime writers to achieve equality in the industry.

Frankie Bailey, President Sally Brewster, Bookstore LiaisonHank Phillippi Ryan, Vice President/Pres.-Elect Mary Boone, Library LiaisonLaura DiSilverio, Secretary Val McDermid, At-LargeKathryn Wall, Treasurer/Authors Coalition Liaison Barbara Fister, Monitoring ProjectMartha Reed, Chapter Liaison Cathy Pickens, Past PresidentStephanie Pintoff, Publicity Sarah Glass, Web MavenKathie Felix, Public RelationsLaurel Anderson, inSinC Proofreader Kaye Barley, inSinC ProofreaderKathie Felix, inSinC Proofreader Molly Weston, inSinC Editor/LayoutBeth Wasson, Executive Secretary, PO Box 442124, Lawrence kS 66044-8933Phone: 785.842.1325; Fax 785.856.6314; email sistersincrime@juno.com

Deadlines & Submissions• Deadline for articles for the December

issue of inSinC is October 15. • Include name, email and mailing address,

and phone number with submissions.• Send columns, articles, high-res photos,

ideas, praise, and story ideas via email toMolly Weston mysteryheel@mac.com919.362.1436

The Docket• To list your publications and award nom-

inations, login to SistersinCrime.org andlook for “The Docket” under “MembersOnly.” Fill in the information—one entryper publication.

• Information on the SinC website will beupdated regularly and will be available toanyone under “Resources.”

• THE DOCkET will continue as an item ininSinC.

JuST THE FACTS • inSinC is the official publication of Sisters in Crime International and is published four times a year. • One-year dues are $40 forprofessional uS and Canada writers and $35 for non-professionals (add $5 for other countries). Two-year dues are $80 and $70; lifetime, $400 and$350. • Address and all other changes can be made by members on www.sistersincrime.org. If you do not use a computer or need a username pleasecontact Beth Wasson at 785.842.1325 or sistersincrime@juno.com • Information in inSinC is submitted and reprinted from sources listed in eacharticle. Where required, permission to reprint has been granted and noted. SinC does not investigate each submission independently and articles inno way constitute an endorsement of products or services offered. No material may be reprinted without written permission from Sisters in Crime.Sisters in Crime© 2012.

1987-88 SaraParetsky1988-89 NancyPickard1989-90 MargaretMaron1990-91 SusanDunlap1991-92 CarolynG. Hart1992-93 P. M. Carlson1993-94 LindaGrant1994-95 Barbara D’Amato

1995-96 Elaine Raco Chase1996-97 Annette Meyers1997-98 SueHenry1998-99 MedoraSale1999-00 BarbaraBurnettSmith2000-01 ClaireCarmichaelMcNab2001-02 EveK. Sandstrom2002-03 KateFlora

2003-04 KateGrilley2004-05 PatriciaSprinkle2005-06 LibbyHellmann2006-07 RochelleKrich2007-08 Roberta Isleib2008-09 Judy Clemens2009-10 Marcia Talley2010–11 Cathy Pickens

inSinC September 2012 3

When I was a kid and wished timewould go by more quickly becauseI couldn’t wait for a birthday or

Christmas, my mother would caution meabout “wishing my life away.” Now that I’molder, I know what she meant. ere’s a lot tobe said for slowing down and enjoying themoment. When I was a kid, summer was thetime when I did that.

This summer—when I found myself wakingup in the middle of the night thinking aboutall the things I needed to get done—I decidedI had to take a vacation. I needed to get away.So I got in my car and headed up to Maine. Ispent that week deliberately and quite inten-tionally accomplishing nothing at all.

I hope you, too, rebelled against spending allsummer hard at work. I hope you shoved your-self away from your computer, ripped up yourto-do list, and announced you were takingsome time off. If you did, I hope you cameback feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to takeon your piece of the world.

Now that it’s September, those of us who arewriters can take advantage of opportunities tohone our craft. Sisters in Crime is again offering

members an opportunity to attend the Writers’Police Academy at a reduced rate. But if youcan’t make it to Greensboro or to any of theother workshops and conferences going onaround the country, we’ll soon have some excit-ing news for you about a new SinC memberbenefit. We hope to have worked out the detailsand be able to make the announcement beforeBouchercon.

Speaking of Bouchercon, if you live in theCleveland area or are able to come in a dayearly, you do not want to miss this year’s SinCinto Great Writing. The workshop will be ledby the fabulous Nancy Pickard. This is a terrificopportunity to polish your self-editing skillsusing a method that Nancy developed for usein her own writing.

And if you are going to be at Bouchercon, don’tforget to sign up for the annual SinC breakfast.This will be your opportunity not only to seeold friends but also to participate in the con-firmation of the SinC board for 2013.

Take care and hope to see you soon.

—Frankie

Frankie Speaks

Editor’s Noteby Molly Weston

Is everyone ready for fall? I certainly am aerthe brutal summer we had in NorthCarolina. I’m looking forward to football,

shorter days with more time for reading, andseeing so many Sisters at Bouchercon. SinCinto Great Writing will be a highlight of my tripto Cleveland.

This issue is chock full. I know you’ve alreadyenjoyed the delightful article by John Curranabout Agatha Christie. If you missed last year’sWriters’ Police Academy, SinC is once againpicking up part of the registration for members.Lee Lofland gives a brief overview.

Chapters have been busy, and the We LoveLibraries contest continues to bring neededresources across the country. Nancy Martin

clears some misconceptions about SinC Links,Leslie Budewitz talks about two points of law,and katherine Ramsland offers more informa-tion on jump-starting creativity. Nancy J. Cohenbrings good advice to new and seasonedauthors about book signings.

Be sure to check out the slate of nominees tothe SinC Board of Directors. You will receiveyour ballot by e-blast. Watch for it.

As usual, we’ve got The Docket with recentpublications, nominations, and awards andplenty of information on conferences and writ-ing contests.

By the way, pleae note that clicking on uRLs(in blue) takes you directly to the website.

—Molly

inSinC September 2012 4

Chapter HighlightsSinC in the Triangle

www.TriangleSinc.com

The speaker for the June 3 meeting was RickBylina, whose timely topic for writers was“Social Media: A Mystery Worth Solving.” Hetalked about a strategy to gain readershipthrough social media. Highlights of his talkincluded:•Begin prior to publishing.•The most important medium is e-mail. •Try to capture 1000 e-mail addresses. •Create a database and, if necessary, use mul-

tiple groups. Verify that your e-mail providerwill allow mass e-mails to go out and not treatthem as spam.•The value of each of the next top five essential

outlets: Webpage, LinkedIn, Blogging,Facebook, and Twitter•Tertiary outlets: Pinterest, YouTube, online

discussions groups (check Yahoo, Amazon,Google), and GoodReads.•Branding, and his practice of three blog posts

each week.

Guppy Chapterwww.Sinc-Guppies.org

We’re thrilled to announce that Wildside Presswill be publishing the second Guppy short storyanthology, entitled Fish Nets. As before, thesestories were submitted by Guppies and judgedby Guppies in a blind submission process han-dled by the unflappable kB Inglee. We endedup with 22 excellent gems, edited by RamonaDeFelice Long. kaye George wrote the intro-duction, a task she said was “an honor.”

Sisters in Crime/LAwww.SistersInCrimeLA.com

The room was packed for the June and Julyspeakers. On June 3, FBI Special Agent ThomasJ. Leighton dispelled myths about the relation-ship between the FBI and local law enforcement,and regaled us with the Bureau’s greatestweapons, the first being the stupidity of mostcriminals.

On July 8, Gloria killian, who spent 17-plusyears in prison for a murder she didn’t commit,spoke about. being sentenced to death beforeher conviction was determined to be basedsolely on perjured testimony and prosecutorialmisconduct. After the meeting, Ms. killian andco-author Sandra kobrin, signed Full Circle: ATrue Story of Murder, Lies and Vindication. Herstory, featured on “48 Hours” and “The MontelWilliams Show,” is being made into a movie.Our event attracted a lot of media attention.

The suspense is building to learn which shortstories have been accepted for the upcomingLos Angeles chapter anthology, Last Exit toMurder.

The chapter is gearing up to again host a boothat the 11th Annual West Hollywood Book Fairon Sunday, September 30, which is traditionallyattended by 35,000 book fans. 2

SinC joins WPA—againby Lee Lofland

Thanks to the overwhelming positiveresponse to last year’s collaboration, theWriters Police Academy (WPA) is

delighted to join forces with Sisters in CrimeSeptember 20–23 in Jamestown NC. Onceagain, SinC pays well more than half of the reg-istration for members.

WPA participants receive the same behind-the-scenes, hands-on instruction taught to police,fire, EMS, and others in the field—by the samepeople who teach them. Instructors and expertswill offer specialized workshops ranging frominterview and interrogation, cold case investi-gations, firearms, bloodstain patterns, k-9s,dive teams, to bioterrorism, gangs, and womenin law enforcement—and more!

The keynote speaker is international best-sell-ing author Lee Child. Featured instructorsinclude Marcia Clark (former OJ Simpson pros-ecutor), experts from Sirchie Fingerprint Lab-oratories, world-renowned forensic anthropol-ogist Dr. Elizabeth Murray, author kathy Harris(marketing manager for the Oak Ridge Boys),author and forensic psychology expert Dr.katherine Ramsland, ATF Special Agent RickMcMahan, NYPD Detective Marco Conelli, coldcase and bloodstain pattern expert Dave Pauly,Author/Detective Lee Lofland, bioterrorismand DNA expert Dr. Denene Lofland, GTTCpolice academy instructors, and literally dozensof active duty police officers, firefighters, andEMS workers.

Partial workshop offerings• Interview and interrogation• Cold case investigations• Firearms• Bloodstain pattern investigations• k-9s• Dive teams• Arson investigation• Federal agents• undercover officers and uC investigations• Bioterrorism and DNA• Gangs• Firefighting• Treating gunshot victims• First responders• FATS training (firearms)• Driving simulator• Arrest techniques and handcuffing• Defensive tactics and self defense for women• Women in law enforcement• Jail tours• Polygraph

•Responding to domestic violence calls roleplay (on-site scenario rooms include a resi-dence, store, etc.)

• Suicides and hangings• Shallow grave investigations• Explosive and bomb squad work• Jail searches in fully-equipped on-site jail cells• underwater evidence recovery (we have an

on-site pool!)

Our on-site working fire station includeshands-on tours and equipment demos. We willhave tons of police equipment and dozens ofvehicles for demos and for your up-closeinspection, including a helicopter, command

posts, patrol vehicles, bomb disposal trucks,firefighting vehicles and equipment, SWAT vehi-cles and equipment, motorcycles, sniper equip-ment, riot gear, armored vehicles, and much,much more.

There will be a lottery for ride-alongs with localpolice and sheriff ’s deputies, and literary agentsfrom the Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency willbe on hand to take pitches.

No matter what type of crime novel you write—or read—you’ll find something at WPA. Formore information and to register, please visitwww.writerspoliceacademy.com .2

SinC into Great Writing IVby Cathy Pickens

We'll begin our three-hour workshopwith Nancy Pickard at 1:00 PM onWednesday, October 3, at the Ritz-

Carlton in Cleveland (across the street from theconference hotel). Registration and check-inwill start at noon. Come prepared to work!Bring a story or a chapter of your novel, a stackof 3" x 5" note cards, colored pencils or pens,and two paperback novels you’re willing tomark.

Nancy will walk us through the system she'sdeveloped for enriching each scene in a man-uscript to immerse the reader and to keep thepages turning.

I attended Nancy's workshop at the Great Man-hattan Mystery Conclave in Manhattan kS andwas excited about what she has developed. epower of this rewriting process can been seenin the richness of the scenes in Nancy's latest

books (e Virgin of Small Plains and e Scentof Rain and Lightning). Whether you are work-ing on your first manuscript or polishing yourfieenth, this system will enrich and strengthenyour writing. Plus it's just plain fun.

Veteran writers Frankie Bailey, Hallie Ephron,and Hank Phillippi Ryan will be on hand tooffer advice and encouragement during theworkshop. ere will be snacks and beveragesthroughout the aernoon and plenty of goodconversation and writerly companionship.

The event will end in time for everyone toexplore dining options in Cleveland. You mightconsider planning to dine with others from thegroup to continue your learning and sharingexperience.

It is not necessary to register for Boucherconto attend this event. 2

SinC into GreatWriting IV

Ritz-Carlton1515 W. Third St.

(Across street from Hyatt)

Wednesday • October 31:00–5:30 PM

Registration & Check-In 12 noon

$50 SinC members $250 nonmembers

Coffee • Tea • SodaFruit • Munchies

Registration is online only at www.tinyurl.com/7syswpj

Nancy Pickard

Frankie Bailey

Cathy Pickens

Hank Phillippi Ryan

Hallie Ephron

inSinC September 2012 5

inSinC September 2012 6

Gotham Writing Workshop As part of the Sisters in Crime education ini-tiative, we will partner with the Gotham Writ-ers’ Workshop to offer scholarships to writermembers on a first-come, first-served basis.The workshop is taught online for ten Tues-days (24-hours a day). Level I Mystery Writing Mystery I is for beginners or anyone whowants to brush up on the fundamentals. usinga balance of lecture, exercise, and feedbackon work from the instructor and classmates,this course gives students a firm groundingin all the basics of mystery writing. Everythingis presented in a clear, accessible manner usingvarious methods:•Write one/two short stories or begin a novel•Lectures on basics of fiction and mystery

craft•Writing exercises•Present work for critique (two times)

The initial cost of $395 + $25 registrationfee = $420. Gotham will extend a 10%discount which makes the course $380.50.SinC will reimburse the member $275after completion of the course—resultingin a cost of only $105.50 for the 10-weekMystery Writing course.

Students will register for the course and pay$350.50 and then will be reimbursed $275 bySisters in Crime. Register with Gotham atwww.tinyurl.com/9lk35hu .

Students who receive the scholarship moneyagree [a] to complete the course and [b] towrite a blog for the Sisters in Crime web sitediscussing the experience. Students who dropout or do not complete the course will not beeligible for a scholarship for one year.

Beth’s Bitsby Beth Wasson

Board of Directors BallotsEach Sisters in Crime member should havereceived a ballot to vote for the 2012-2013Slate of Directors by e-mail or by snail-mail(for the few members who don’t use e-mail)by now. If you haven’t received the e-mail,check your spam folder for something fromSistersInCrime@juno.com and vote by Sep-tember 30, 2012. If you would like anotherballot sent to you, please let me know at SistersInCrime@juno.com .

We Love Libraries!This amazing Sisters in Crime money give-away to libraries continues. Many of our mem-bers and authors have had a chance to visitthe winning libraries and participate in a bookevent/check presentation. I extend specialthanks to Debra Goldstein, SinC author andvolunteer for organizing events—each month,all over the country. Her work has been out-standing. Visit our web site to view all thewinners at and click on We Love Libraries!on the rotating banner.

Renewal PeriodSinC’s dues renewal period will start onDecember 1, 2012, as in the past. In order tostreamline the process, SinC will create a duesinvoice for all members. You will need onlyto log in with your username and passwordto pay the invoice. Please contact me at SistersInCrime@juno.com if you have prob-lems retrieving your username and password.Sisters in Crime will continue our new two-year memberships—and you may want toconsider a lifetime membership. More than50 members have decided that this is the wayto go. You will receive the exclusive lifetimemembership lapel pin for your efforts.

Bouchercon 2012 Cleveland SinC Breakfast Join Sisters in Crime for our annual BusinessMeeting and Breakfast at Bouchercon. Thebreakfast will be held in the conference hotelon Friday, October 5, 2012 at 7:30 AM. We will

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have a full breakfast and coffee/tea and juice.To register, go to www.SistersInCrime.organd click on Bouchercon Breakfast. The costis $25 for SinC members and $35 for non-members. Guests are welcome. You may payonline by MC/Visa or send a check to

Sisters in CrimePO Box 442124Lawrence kS 66044

Checks should arrive in Lawrence on orbefore September 26, 2012. Online registra-tion will be open as long as we have spotsavailable. The SinC Breakfast often sells out—so register now. See you in Cleveland!

SinC into Great Writing IV!We needed to change the hotel for SinC intoGreat Writing IV! in Cleveland. Now we willhold the Nancy Pickard workshop at the Ritz-Carlton across the street from the Hyatt at1515 West Third Street. The phone numberis 216.623.1300.

We will be in the Riverview Room, whereeach attendee will have a “desk.” We plan tohave refreshments all through the afternoon.Register on www.SistersInCrime.com. Youdo not need to attend Bouchercon to attendthis workshop. The cost for members is only$50 and includes all food. 2

etta Savernake from The Hollow (1946) is awell-known sculptress, and Sophia Leonidesin Crooked House (1949) is a highly-placedForeign Office administrator despite her beingonly 22 years of age.

Probably the most unusual career woman inthe entire Christie output is Lucy Eyelesbarrowin 4:50 from Paddington (1957). Despite achiev-ing a First at Oxford, Lucy realized that a gapin the market existed for capable domestic helpand made herself available for short-termhousekeeper postings, for a considerable fee.In 4:50 from Paddington, one Jane Marpleemploys her to carry out the most bizarre taskof Lucy’s entire “domestic” career—finding adead body.

AriadneFrom the 1930s onwards, well known detectivenovelist Mrs. Ariadne Oliver—British, middle-aged, creator of a foreign detective, author ofThe Body in the Library—appears at irregularintervals. Described as “an earnest believer inwoman’s intuition” and a “hot-headed feminist,”her mantra is “Now if a woman were in chargeof Scotland Yard...”

Perhaps she has a point. 2

Hilary’s situation is strikingly original. Deeplydepressed after the death of her child and theloss of her husband, she is contemplating sui-cide when she is approached by the mysteriousMr. Jessop. He suggests that if she intends end-ing her life she might consider ending it in agood cause, in the service of her country. Sheagrees to impersonate the wife of a recentlyvanished scientist in an effort to discover whathappened to him. Her subsequent adventuresdemand courage and quick-wittedness in alienlocations and with unseen enemies.

Rosamund,Jenny, andothersSuccessful businessw o m e n —Rosamund Darnley(Evil under the Sun,1946) and JennyDriver (Lord Edg-ware Dies, 1933)—appear alongside

women eminent in (then) unusual fields. Thenewly-qualified Dr. Sarah king in Appointmentwith Death (1938), Angela Warren, a renownedarchaeologist, in Five Little Pigs (1943); Henri-

Christie, cont’d from p. 1

Photo by Anneli Salo

John Curran is the author of Agatha Christie’sSecret Notebooks and Agatha ChristieMurder in the Making, both of which werenominated for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony andMacavity awards. Agatha Christie”s SecretNotebooks won the Agatha, Anthony andMacavity. Murder in the Makingwill be avail-able in paperback in the autumn.

Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Competition

October 15Open to any unpublished author (exceptingself-published ones) of a first traditional mys-tery novel. www.tinyurl.com/kkb6gq

William F. Deeck-MaliceDomestic Grants Program forUnpublished Writers

Annually, Mid-NovemberGrants to two unpublished writers in themalice domestic genre.www.tinyurl.com/2attsq3

Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America (MWA)First Crime Novel

December 18Open to any writer who has never been theauthor of a published novel (excepting self-published or one who is under contract).www.tinyurl.com/6m6quoq

Writing Contests

Writing ContestsPlease send all information formystery writing contests,including those sponsored bySinC chapters, directly to MollyWeston, inSinC editor, at mys-teryheel@mac.com . Includecontest name, entry deadline,sponsor, and website. Include“Contest” in the subject line.Deadline for the Decemberissue is October 15.

Poisoned Pen Press Discover MysteryTM Award

Open mid-December 2012Deadline March 15, 2013

First book contest for unpublished writers.www.poisonedpenpress.com/contest

The Tony Hillerman PrizeJune 1, 2013

Co-sponsored by the Tony Hillerman WritersConference and Minotaur Books, the prize isawarded annually to the best debut mysteryset in the Southwest.www.tinyurl.com/qyvt7e

PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition

July 13, 2013Sponsored by the Private Eye Writers ofAmerica and St. Martin’s Press, the competi-tion is open to any unpublished author of aprivate eye novel.www.tinyurl.com/dxd3pn4

inSinC September 2012 7

inSinC September 2012 8

SinC Links—a BSP-free zone

by Nancy Martin

Keeping up with what’s happening in thepublishing industry is imperative forcareer authors—those who make a

living by writing. It’s vital to keep tabs on break-ing news, the rise and fall of trends, and whatpeers are doing to stay in business. Not follow-ing what’s going on risks losing one’s livelihood.

In 2008, when I volunteered to coordinate theSinC Links project—a monthly e-blast withlinks to important news articles to help careerauthors make decisions about their futures—we didn’t know we were on the brink of a pub-lishing revolution. Now many volunteers areneeded to stay on top of the changes that breakevery month. This team of diligent, media-savvyvolunteers collects news items to give membersa “snapshot” of the rapidly changing industry.

What SinC Links isLinks in our recent e-blasts sent members tonews items about important issues such asMicrosoft’s buying into Barnes & Noble andthe subsequent breaking of the company intotwo divisions. (Will they close their brick-and-mortar stores in favor of their big success—theNook?) When Amazon began expanding intobook publishing in addition to distribution, welooked for succinct articles on the subject. Wehave also included Book Expo America reports,articles on innovative marketing strategies, andpieces on how e-reading devices are used totrack reader habits. We often include an amus-ing or craft-related article, too. Occasionallywe link to info about writers who have suc-cessfully self-published and have gone on tosell books to traditional publishers for a lot ofmoney.

What SinC Links Isn’tSinC Links simply isn’t a vehicle for promotion.Few members read the Links and grab a pencilto note titles to buy books that will be releaseda year from now. Instead, members read SinCLinks to find business info they can use toshape their own careers.

DealsOne of the most useful features of SinC Links,of course, is the list of “deals” every month.Reading the deals is a little like having a goodgossip among friends at a conference bar. We

$50,000. No human could live on the first, buta writer could conceivably use a $50k advanceto pay a mortgage. To me, it feels dishonest tohint that a “nice” book deal could be $50k, whenwe really know most are less than $10k, but itseems reprehensible to print “nice deal” if there'sno advance at all or an advance of less than$1,000. Last year we changed the policy con-cerning the less than $1k. Now, if you earnedan advance of at least $1,000, we call it a “nice”deal. If it’s less, we ask that members either revealthe exact amount or agree that “no advance” isincluded in the deal announcement.

SinC Link deal policiesWhy did we change the policy? Being coy about“nice deals” and/or implying that a no-advancebook deal is will reap a yearly income a personcan survive on seems unethical. Pretendingyou can rise into the bestseller lists when you’vestarted with a $250 advance is being dishonestwith the SinC siblings who must count on writ-ing for their livelihood. My choice for a “nice”deal would be $25k–$50k—clear, fair, andabove the poverty line. But until the industryimplements a better way we must work withinwidely accepted euphemisms.

Why do we print those “no advance” deals atall, if they’re not obviously useful business info?

• To show diversity.

• To give hobbyist members guidance aboutwhere to send niche market manuscripts.

• To demonstrate that some small presses withunfortunate business practices still exist, asdo scams.

try to provide more comprehensive informa-tion members can interpret for their own uses.

• Who was the author? Is she a SinC mem-ber? Does she have a long-standing career,or is this deal her debut? Is she using a newname or coming from another genre?Members can compare and contrast theirown situations with someone who has beenrecently successful.

• How many books did she sell in one deal?Some houses buy only one book at a time,but career authors often look for publishinghomes that offer multi-book contracts.

• What kind of books were sold? Cozy? Hard-boiled? Thriller? Romantic suspense? We tryto identify which sub-genres are currentlyhot and which might be a hard sell.

• Who is the acquiring editor (name, title,publishing house) who therefore might beinterested in similar books?

• What agent negotiated the deal? That agentmight be interested in new clients in thesame circumstances. When a deal happenswithout an agent, we hope the omissionencourages members to think about whythat happened. Was the author unable tointerest an agent in her work? Was the dealso low-paying that an agent would have littleinterest in representing someone who soldto this house?

• How much was the advance money?Advances generally indicate a traditionalpublisher’s sales expectations. Giving a $15kadvance usually demonstrates the publisherexpects to sell at least enough copies to coverthe advance. Because the amount of theadvance is such key information, we preferto print the exact amount. usually, though,we’re forced to use the commonly acceptedlist of industry euphemisms:

“nice deal” $1,000–$49,000 “very nice deal” $50,000–$99,000 “good deal” $100,000–$250,000 “significant deal” $251,000–$499,000“major deal” $500,000 and up

Personally, I don’t like printing “nice deal”because the range is so vast—$1,000 to

See “Links,” p 9

inSinC September 2012 9

Of course, many writers have good reasons foraccepting book deals with modest advances oron less than favorable financial terms. Maybeyou’re currently employed, retired, or independ-ently wealthy, and you don’t need a steadyincome from writing. Or your book has aregional connection making it a poor candidatefor nationwide distribution but ideal for a smallpress. Maybe you enjoy selling books at bookfairs, and a micro press is the ideal entity to pro-vide you with the copies you can sell yourself.Maybe you can promote your niche book betterin a community that will jump at the chance tobuy your books. Or perhaps you just want tosee your writing in print. If so, you’ve made adecision that works for you. The SinC Linksproject is intended to serve the career authorsdefined in the first paragraph, however, and wewant to provide them with honest informationand solid facts.

There are many perks for other members—the Guppies, for example, and the new e-book-focused version of SinC Links prepared everymonth by Ellen Hart and her team. But if youwant to make a living at writing, you must bevigilant, and the SinC Links is intended to helpyou do that.

Do we still have issues with the deals as wenow report them? Yes, certainly. Especially nowwith e-book deals coming fast, we desperately

need new measurement tools. E-bookadvances are rarely the same as advances fromtraditional houses, but royalty splits are oftenbetter. Self-publishing sounds lucrative in thewake of some of this year’s e-book blockbusters,but since fewer than 10% of self-pubbed e-book authors earn a living from their books,we don’t want to imply good earnings whenwe can’t accurately measure them. until wehave some way of forecasting the sales numbersof self-pubbing and e-books, though, we’restuck with the system we’ve got.

The best purpose and stickiest issue concerningthe SinC Links can perhaps be best illustratedin this anecdote:

A few months ago, a member emailed me tocomplain that her no-advance, no agent, e-book-only, 30-70 royalty split, micro press deal wasn’tlisted in SinC Links. Her note was a thinly dis-guised demand for a promotion opportunity.The same day, I got an email from another mem-ber who landed a multi-million dollar deal, andher information—her agent's name, the acquir-ing editor's name and title, the kind of books shewrites and the platform that has gotten her tothis point in her career—is exactly the kind ofsolid info that can help other career writer mem-bers make choices in order to live on the moneythey earn by writing. That author is not using

the other promotional opportunities made avail-able to her by the organization.  Personally, Ithink she is gracious about yielding those oppor-tunities to members who want them and needthem more than she.

The first author was looking for a place to pro-mote herself while being coy about her deal. Isent her to The Docket and the listserv—SinCmember benefits designed or used for the pur-pose of promotion.

The second author was equally proud of heraccomplishment, but she was also willing toshare specifics with members who’d like toknow how to follow in her footsteps. I printedher deal with the knowledge that her informa-tion would be useful to her sister members.

Sisters in Crime has opportunities for every-one. SinC Links just happens to be a tool for aspecific segment of our membership. We con-tinue to provide solid, trustworthy businessinformation to help our writers build theircareers. 2

Nancy Martin is a past member of the Sisters inCrime board. She is a founding member ofPennwriters, and is the author of nearly 50 pop-ular fiction novels, including The BlackbirdSisters Mystery Series. Her first book was aromance published in 1982, and her mostrecent isNo Way to Kill a Lady from Penguin.

Links - Cont’d. from p. 8

When my series was dropped by TORaer six books, the sixth of whichwas delayed endlessly and without

explanation, I was in despair. I thought that Ihad only three choices: I could stop writing, Icould go and play in traffic, or I could takechances with my writing and see where it ledme. I chose the later.

Among those chances was moving out of mycomfort zone—writing about a strong womanin my Thea kozak series—to creating a trio ofmale cops for the Joe Burgess series. That seriesgot starred reviews for the first two books, andcops tell me that I capture many of the littlenuances of their lives that other readers mightnot notice. It was scary and it was hard. Thebooks are much darker and more violent thanmy Thea books (and I was already criticizedfor putting Thea in physical situations), andI’ve had to spend a lot of time riding around inpolice cars, but it’s been very rewarding.

pleasure when their stories appeared in print.After seven books, more than a hundredauthors published, and seeing our authors benominated for, or win just about every majoraward in the business, we’ve passed the reinsto new editors, and I’m back in the writingchair.

Next up for me—helping more people tell theirstories. It wasn’t what I planned, but I’m lovingthe adventure of it. Thank goodness writersnever retire. Of course, we can’t afford to—butthat’s another story. 2

In addition to being an author, Kate Flora is apast president of Sisters in Crime. Her website iswww.KateFlora.com .

Writing about cops led me to a different kindof chance-taking—writing true crime and col-laborating with another writer. I co-wrote Find-ing Amy because my friend and chief advisoron all-things-cop, Joe Loughlin, wanted to writeabout a murder he’d worked, but he didn’t knowhow to write a book. When I got tired of lis-tening to him, I suggested we write it together.It was a powerful and moving experience towrite about the murder of a lovely youngwoman—lovely in spirit and character as wellas appearance. That book was nominated foran Edgar and has been optioned for a movie.

The third kind of chance taking was movingto the editorial side of the table. In collaborationwith mystery writers Susan Oleksiw and SkyeAlexander, we formed a publishing cooperative,Level Best Books, and published seven collec-tions of crime stories by New England writers.I hadn’t realized how exciting it would be todiscover other writers’ voices and witness their

Changes and chancesby Kate Flora

inSinC September 2012 10

What is undue influence on theterms of a will? “undue influence” means pretty muchwhat it sounds like—that a person usedhis or her relationship to the testator—that is, the person making the will—to induce him or her to leave propertya certain way. If undue influence isfound, a judge can invalidate the entirewill or a specific provision.

The key here is “undue.” undue influ-ence occurs when someone uses a con-fidential relationship or position ofauthority to take unfair advantage ofthe testator, effectively substituting hisor her intent for the testator’s. The per-son challenging the will has the burdenof proving undue influence.

The judge considers the nature of therelationship, the testator’s mental andphysical condition at the time, his abil-ity to withstand influence, whether thewill or provision distributes assets in away that shows influence or mentalunbalance, and any other relevant cir-cumstances. A close relationshipbetween a testator and a beneficiarynot related by blood or law is notenough to show undue influence.

Typical scenariosAn elderly widow executes a willleaving her property equally to hertwo children. A few years later,while living with her, her son takesher to a new lawyer to write a willleaving everything to him. After herdeath, the daughter challenges thesecond will, claiming undue influ-ence. The woman’s doctors, nurses,and friends testify that she sufferedsevere dementia and physical prob-

lems, no longer remembered thatshe had a daughter, and did notknow how much property she had.The court finds undue influenceand accepts the previous will.

In other cases, unscrupulous friendsand relatives have taken advantageof people with dementia, paranoia,deteriorating ability to understandEnglish, and other vulnerabilities toget them to change their wills,increase a small bequest, or leaveeverything to someone not previ-ously named in the will, to theexclusion of relatives or other previ-ous beneficiaries. Tragic, but notuncommon. In short, a writer’sdream.

What does “of sound mind” really mean?A testator must have sufficient mentalcapacity at the time he signs a will togenerally understand the nature andextent of his property, what making awill means, and the names and his rela-tionship to the people affected by hiswill—sometimes called “the naturalobjects of his affection,” such as rela-tives by blood or law (that is, by mar-riage or adoption). To challenge a willon grounds of mental capacity, yourcharacter will need to show the testatorwas lacking in at least one of thoseareas.

For exampleCan she show that, because ofAlzheimer’s or a brain injury herfather no longer knew he had adaughter or that he had formed inac-curate ideas about her that led him to

exclude her from the will? She’ll needevidence from his doctors, care-givers, friends, or other relatives.

Did the lawyer who drafted the willand the witnesses lack knowledge ofhis mental status? A person mayappear competent at some times butnot at others—the question iswhether he actually was competentat the time he signed the will. 2

(Excerpted from Books, Crooks &Counselors, by Leslie Budewitz)Leslie Budewitz is a practicing lawyer and a fic-tion writer. Her book for writers, Books, Crooks& Counselors: A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Get-ting the Law Right (Quill Driver Books) wonthe 2011 Agatha for Best Nonfiction, and is nom-inated for the 2012 Anthony and Macavityawards. Visit www.LawandFiction.com and blogwww.LawandFiction.com/blog .

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Law & Fiction : Getting Facts Straight

by Leslie Budewitz

inSinC September 2012 11

One of the summer movies wasAbraham Lincoln, VampireHunter. It merges the story of an

iconic president with an age-old literarytheme, as told via his secret diaries. Avampire kills Lincoln’s mother, whichsends him on a mission of revenge.Inspired to fight for goodness and truth,he goes aer other vampires.

This mashup comes from the same teamthat brought us Pride and Prejudice andZombies. An editor was playing with fan-boy ideas and looking at books in the pub-lic domain. He decided to inject scenes offlesh-eating monsters into the 1913 classic.The same publisher also has produced TheMeowmorphosis and Android Karenina.

The idea of a mashup, a subcategory oftranssexuality, is to use existing data in adifferent—often unexpected—form. It’s asong or book or some other type of pro-duction that was morphed from pre-exist-ing works. Sometimes it’s just new lyricslaid over the track of another song, butmore often it’s a transformative blend, suchas sending Sherlock Holmes to see Sig-mund Freud in The Seven-Per-Cent Solu-tion.

In fact, it’s become a cliché to pitch a movieidea as a mashup: “It’s Godzilla meetsWuthering Heights!” or “It’s Jaws meetsAvatar!” When I pitched a book aboutgoing undercover into the vampire sub-culture, I described it as Black Like Memeets Gorillas in the Mist, to emphasizejournalistic immersion. For a spoof, Imerged 50 Shades of Grey with a WoodyAllen story to get “50 Shades of Grey Mat-ter.”

The television show, Glee, showcasesepisodes in which the Glee Club studentsdevise mashups by merging two popularsongs to create a third one from familiarelements. “Start Me up,” for example,merged with “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and“Halo” with “Walking on Sunshine.”

frontal, parietal, and temporal associa-tion cortices. This finding suggests thattraining can improve our brain’s func-tioning.Research at Northwestern universityrevealed that people in a good mood arebetter problem solvers and use suddeninsight more often than methodical cal-culations. Seventy-nine participantscompleted mood state inventories justbefore they performed an experimentaltask that involved word completion exer-cises. When their brains were scanned,activity in the part called the associationcortex was consistent with insight solu-tions. The better their mood, the morecreative they were. The researchers sug-gested that a positive mood broadens thescope of attention, externally and inter-nally, which allows for a greater range ofdata input.

So read widely, observe shrewdly, and lis-ten in many places. Maybe you’ll inventyour own Crime and Punishment and Pop-eye. 2

Katherine Ramsland has published 43books and more than 1,000 articles, andshe writes a blog for Psychology Today. Herlatest books are Moonlight Murder onLover’s Lane and Snap! Seizing Your Aha!Moments.

Mashups appeal to us for the same reasonthat merchants are so keen on branding:We like what’s familiar. However, we alsoenjoy an element of surprise. Thus, we lis-ten or read with anticipation to see how astory we know so well has been altered.Anticipation gives us a rush of brain chem-icals that are implicated in pleasure.Although not everyone loves a mashup(especially rights holders), they can bequite fun.

Want to try it?So, maybe you aspire to get inventive. Howcan you ramp up for a mashup?

Neuropsychiatrist Nancy Andreasen stud-ied the lives of inventive geniuses. Shefound that they have little need for theconceptual structures onto which mostpeople grab for comfort and predictability.Because they can tolerate ambiguity,they’re open to new experiences. They’realso quite mentally agile and they’re con-stantly learning new things.

We have this wonderful part of our braincalled the association cortex, which I men-tioned in an earlier column. It receives andintegrates information from a variety ofsources and then organizes our cognitiveprocesses. The brain appears to be a systemof feedback loops that constantly generatenew thoughts. The trick to creating amashup is to expose yourself to a varietyof data and let it all mingle in just the rightway.

Constructive tipsA regular habit of meditation appears todevelop areas of the brain that areinvolved in mental agility. Researchersat Massachusetts General Hospital andHarvard Medical School found thatpeople who meditate for 30 minuteseach day have measurable differences intheir grey matter—especially in theassociation cortex. A study involvingBuddhist monks confirmed this. Theyhad more “gamma power” in the

Creative Collisionsby Katherine Ramsland, PhD

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It’s time again to select new SinC board members—andto say goodbye to some who have ended their terms. Weextend deep thanks to Ellen Hart for her work with

public relations, especially in supporting the blog andmoving to professional PR support, and to Mary Boone,who will continue as a special liaison to the board forlibraries, supporting our ALA/PLA efforts. e nominatingcommittee submits for your approval, the following slate ofofficers and board members:

PresidentHank Phillippi Ryan

Home: Boston mABody of Work: The Charlotte mcNally series, short stories, newestthriller—The Other WomanAlso: Investigative reporter for NBC-affiliate station whDh-TV in Boston

Vice PresidentLaura DiSilverio

Home: Colorado Springs COBody of Work: The Swift Investigations, mall Cop, and Ballroom Dance(as Ella Barrick) series.Also: Former Air Force intelligence officer and squadron commander

Secretary/PublicityStefanie Pintoff

Home: New york NyBody of Work:The Simon Ziele detective series, The Final Option(forthcoming)Also: Former attorney, full-time writer and mom

Treasurer (Non-Voting)Kathy Wall

Home: hilton head SCBody of Work:The Bay Tanner mysteries and stand-alone titlesAlso: Not-totally-retired accountant

Chapter Liaison Martha Reed

Home: Pittsburgh PABody of Work: Short stories in Pearl, Spinetingler, and mysterical-E.Currently developing a Nantucket series.Also: Project manager in product development for a local mutual fundcompany

Bookstore LiaisonSally Brewster

Home: Charlotte NCAlso: Owner of Park Road Books, Charlotte NC, past president ofSoutheastern Independent Booksellers Association (SIBA)

Library LiaisonCari Dubiel

Home: Cuyahoga Falls OhAlso: Former reference librarian now computer services manager atTwinsburg Public Library, Twinsburg Oh

Monitoring CoordinatorBarbara Fister

Home: St. Peter mNBody of Work: “Spring Fever” in Writes of Spring,The Anni Koskinenseries, On EdgeAlso: Librarian at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter mN

At-Large MembersRobert Dugoni

Home: Pacific NorthwestBody of Work: The David Sloane series, most recently The Conviction, anda stand-alone and non-fiction exposeAlso: Former civil litigator and reporter

Val McDermidHome: North of EnglandBody of Work:The Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan, and the Tony hill and Carol Jordan series, stand-alone novels, numerous short stories, and A Suitable Job for a WomanAlso: Re-working Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey

Cathy PickensHome: Charlotte NCBody of Work: Southern Fried series and Charleston mysteries Also: Teaches in the mcColl School of Business at Queens Universityin Charlotte NC

Immediate Past President Frankie Bailey

Home: Albany NyBody of Work: The Lizzie Stuart mystery series, a short story, and lots ofnonfiction.Also: Teaches in the School of Criminal Justice at SUNy-Albany

SinC Board Nominees

inSinC September 2012 13

Are you approaching your first event asa published author and you’re unsureof what to expect? Or, maybe you’re a

seasoned writer experienced at author appear-ances, but you always seem to forget somethingimportant? In either case, here’s a checklist tokeep you organized so you can concentrate onyour presentation.

3Always be sure to confirm arrangementsahead of time. For example, for speakingengagements, ask if a table will be set up foryou to sell your books after the talk.

3As people approach you to sign their book,ask if they want it personalized. Some readersjust want your signature, which actuallymakes the book more valuable. Or you canadd a “To Sally” inscription if they want theirname inside.

What else should you write? If you can thinkof a cute phrase to go along with your series,add it above your signature, or else just put“Happy Reading” or “Enjoy.” For goodfriends and family, you might want to addsomething more personal.

Where should you put your signature? Signby your name on the title page.

3Autographed by author stickers areoptional—not all readers want a sticker onsigned books. You can order round labelswith your own words on them at officesupply stores or online. “Autographed Copy”seems to work better than “Local Author” ifyou leave signed books on a bookstore shelfafter an event.

3During your talk, hold up the book cover ofyour next release to show what’s comingnext—or lay it on your table for display.

3Bring extra bookmarks, flyers, or postcardsto leave with the bookseller or librarian.When giving a talk to a small group, putsomething on each chair. Otherwise, leavethem out on your signing table and add oneto each signed book.

3Consider bringing books for a library dona-tion, for a door prize, or for giveaways toaudience members who ask questions. Fora bigger group or at a joint signing withother authors, consider putting together araffle basket.

It’s best to bring your own books for backupin case of sellout or delayed shipping.Sometimes bookstores couldn’t get all ofyour titles and will take some of yours to sellon consignment.

3usually booksellers and librarians will offera beverage, but be prepared with your own.

3Don’t leave home without business cards!Consider having two sets, one with yourphone number for people who might want tobook an event, and one without it for fans. Iinclude Quick Response (QR) codes andsocial networking sites.

3When selling your own books, bring a calcu-lator or a note pad and pen. It’s hard tomanage money with people crowding yourtable. If you can recruit someone else for thisduty, that’s great. (She’ll need the calculator ornote pad, too.)

3Bring your own camera for pictures for yourblog, website, Facebook, and Pinterest. Theywill show potential event planners you’reexperienced at giving talks and speaking onpanels while highlighting your fan following.

3Have lots of small bills to make change if sell-ing your own books. Decide ahead of time ifyou will accept personal checks. Round upprices to next dollar amount, i.e., If the bookretails for $15.99, charge people $16. It’s easier,plus they’re getting your signature for theextra penny.

3Support your local writing organizations byoffering brochures if your chapter has them.

3If you’re sitting at a table trying to attractpeople over, play your trailer on your laptopor tablet—better than putting out a dish ofcandy, which kids seem to swipe. I wouldn’tsuggest playing a trailer at a book talk or atan event with other authors, but it’s anothertool in your arsenal.

3At every writing-related event, obtain namesand e-mail addresses to add to your mailinglists. Collect business cards of readers, writ-ers, industry personnel, librarians, book-sellers. Send a newsletter using one of themass email services. Your list will build grad-ually, but you’ll be surprised how it grows.

Pass around your sign-up sheet for smallgroups or keep one handy at your signingtable. While people are waiting in line, ask

them to add their e-mail addresses. Reassurereaders that you won’t bombard them withpromo materials.

3Bring a few copies of lists of upcomingappearances in case a reader wants to catchyou at another event or to check you out as apotential speaker.

3Posters are optional depending on the venue.Ask your publisher to send one or make yourown. If you do the latter, be sure to say “Meetthe Author” in large lettering so people don’tthink you’re sitting around to direct them tothe restroom.

3Always bring extra pens in case a customerwalks off with yours after registering for yournewsletter. Leave the expensive designer pensat home.

3Boxes of books can be heavy if you have to lugthem from your car to the venue. Look in lug-gage or office supply stores for a set of foldingwheels.

Armed with this list, you won’t have to worryabout forgetting anything, and you’ll feel moreconfident by being prepared. Try to relax andhave fun. Remember that signings are moreabout who you meet than about how manybooks you sell. 2

Nancy J. Cohen is an award-winning authorwho writes romance and mysteries. Her pop-ular Bad Hair Day series features hairdresserMarla Shore, who solves crimes with wit andstyle under the sultry Florida sun. Titles in thisseries have been IMBA bestsellers, while herromances have garnered rave reviews.

Book signing checklistby Nancy J. Cohen

California Crime Writers Pasadena CA • June 22–23

LA-SinC and Southern Chapter of MysteryWriters of America co-sponsor this biennialevent geared to emerging and establishedmystery writers. Sue Grafton will be keynotespeaker on Saturday.www.CCWConference.org

Bouchercon Albany NY • September 19–22

Honorees include Sue Grafton for lifetimeachievement, P. C. Doherty as internationalguest of honor, Tess Gerritsen as Americanguest of honor, Steve Hamilton as toastmas-ter, and Chris Aldrich and Lynn kaczmarekas fan guests of honor.www.Bcon2013.com

2014

Left Coast CrimeMonterey CA • March 20–23

Calamari Crime will feature Cara Black as uSguest of honor, Louise Penny as internationalguest of honor, Brad Parks as toastmaster, andSue Trowbridge as guest of honor. Very earlysquid incentives end October 7, 2012. www.LeftCoastCrime.org

Bouchercon 2014Long Beach CA • November 13–16

Honorees include Jeffery Deaver for lifetimeachievement, Edward Marston as interna-tional guest of honor, J. A. Jance as Americanguest of honor, Simon Wood as toastmaster,and Al Abramson as fan guest of honor.www.Bouchercon2014.com

2015

Bouchercon 2015Raleigh NC • October 8–15

“Murder under the Oaks’ will feature TomFranklin as American guest of honor, SeanDoolittle and Lori Armstrong as toastmas-ters, and Ron Rash as local guest of honor.www.Bouchercon2015.org and@Bcon2015

Magna cum MurderMuncie IN • October 26–28

SJ Rozan will highlight Ball State university’s18th conference as guest of honor. Eric G.Wilson will deliver the banquet address. www.MagnaCumMurder.com

Noircon 2012Philadelphia PA • November 8–11

This literary convention features David L.Goodis recipient Lawrence Block, Jay andDeen kogan Award recipient for literaryexcellence Otto Penzler, keynote speakerRobert Olen Butler, and master of ceremoniesCharles Benoit. www.NoirCon.info

2013

Love Is MurderChicago IL • February 1–3

This forum allows writers and readers to fur-ther their knowledge of writing, publishing,and the business of book production. David J.Walker will be local guest of honor; LeeGoldberg, Bob Mayer, and Michael Harveyare featured authors.www.LoveIsMurder.net

Book ‘Em North CarolinaLumberton NC • February 23

The second writers conference and book fairat Robeson Community College will hostmore than 75 authors and publishers forbook signings, panel discussions, and more.www.BookEmNC.org

Left Coast Crime Colorado Springs CO • March 21–24

“Where murder is the last resort” is for read-ers, writers, librarians, and other mystery andthriller enthusiasts. Craig Johnson and LauraLippman will be guests of honor; DavidCorbett, toastmaster; Parnell Hall, “LastResort Troubadour”; Tom and Enid Schantz,fan guests of honor; Stephen J. Cannell, ghostof honor. www.LeftCoastCrime.org/2013

Malice Domestic 25Bethesda MD • May 3–5

The conference honoring the traditional mys-tery will feature guest of honor Laurie R.king; toastmaster, Laura Lippman; lifetimeachievement, Aaron Elkins; Amelia Award,Carolyn Hart; international guest of honor,Peter Robinson; fan guest of honor, CindySilberblatt; Malice remembers, Dick Francis. www.MaliceDomestic.org

inSinC September 2012 14inSinCSeptember 201214

Conferences & Happenings

Conferences & WorkshopsPlease send all conference and work-shop information, including thosesponsored by SinC chapters, to MollyWeston at mysteryheel@mac. com .Include conference name, date, loca-tion, brief description, contact informa-tion, and website. Please include“Conference” or “Workshop” in the sub-ject line. Deadline for the Decemberissue is October 15.

2012

Bloody ScotlandStirling Scotland • September 14–16

Scotland’s first international crime writingfestival highlights Scottish crime writing andplaces it in an international context.www.bloodyscotland.com@BloodyScotland

Writers Police AcademyJamestown NC • September 20–23

WPA offers the “most hands-on, interactive,and educational experience for writers.”keynote speaker is Lee Child.www.WritersPoliceAcademy.com

SinC into Great WritingCleveland OH • October 3

Nancy Pickard offers a self-editing workshopone day prior to Bouchercon.www.SistersinCrime.org

Bouchercon Cleveland OH • October 4–7

Crime fiction rocks—and the opening cere-mony takes place at the Rock & Roll Hall ofFame. Those honored include ElizabethGeorge as American guest, Robin Cook fordistinguished contribution to the genre, MaryHiggins Clark for lifetime achievement, LesRoberts as special Cleveland guest, DorisAnn Norris as fan guest, and John Connollyas toastmaster. www.Bouchercon2012.com

SinC-Mary Roberts RinehartPittsburgh PA • October 12–14

Getaway weekend workshop with SusanMeier—overnight spaces are limited to 12,with a few day passes offered. pghsinc@gmail.com

inSinC September 2012 15

Over the moon!” was how Crosby,Minnesota Jesse F. HallettMemorial Library Head Librarian

Peggi Beseres described fan anticipation forthe May 15th author talk and We LoveLibraries! (WLL) check presentation byWilliam kent krueger and Erin Hart. AsBeseres confided to krueger, author of theCork O’Connor series, and Hart, creator ofNora Gavin/Cormac Maguire series, “e$1000 prize you are hand delivering is justthe icing on the cake—we are much moreexcited at having you both as guests at ourlibrary.”

Each of the libraries winning WLL lotteryawards between January and April 2012echoed this excitement. In addition toexpressing gratitude for the prize moneyenabling them to increase their permanentcollections, all praised the generosity of theSinC writers who volunteered their time, tal-ents, and many of their own books to providecheck presentation and author programsspecifically tailored to each venue.

Shuter Library of Angel FireWhen New Mexico’s Shuter Library of AngelFire learned they were the January WLL win-ner, it determined that a summer programwould be better because of the seasonal fluc-tuation of its library patrons. Working with

Library Director Diane Martinez, author Robkresge (the Warbonnet series) personallydelivered a box of books from Albuquerque”sCroak and Dagger Chapter on Valentine’sDay and arranged for Margaret Tessler, afounding member and 2006 president of theChapter, to join Charlie Parker and SamanthaSweet mystery series writer Connie Sheltonfor a check presentation and author receptionon June 22. (Shelton’s books were featuredin the Shuter Library application.) Duringthe reception, Tessler presented a set of herSharon Morgan-Salazar books to the libraryand offered another set as a door prize.

Shasta CollegeAfter submitting Shasta College in Redding,California’s WLL application, Sharon Owenresigned to concentrate more on her ownwriting and serve as program director of theWriters Forum, a Redding-based non-profitorganization for writers. When ShastaCollege won, Owen arranged for TerryShames, program director for the NorCalChapter, to present the grant check to JanetAlbright, the college’s associate dean oflibrary services, during a May 12 WritersForum meeting at the library. Shames,whose forthcoming debut mystery is Murderat Jarrett Creek, also conducted “Do YourHomework,” a workshop on changes in the

publishing industry. Owen noted that intalking to the full house of more than 40writers, Shames included detailed informa-tion about SinC and its sub-groups its wealthof resources to writers.

Brookline Public LibraryOn June 26, SinC members and Brookline,Massachusetts residents Bruce Macbain(Roman Games) and Sarah Smith (The OtherSide of Dark) made a special presentation ofthe April SinC WLL award to the BrooklinePublic Library during its Mystery ReadersGroup evening. 2

SinC Loves Libraries!by Debra H. Goldstein

William Kent Kruger and Erin Hart (left and right) present the $1000 We Love Libraries! check to Jesse F. Hallett Memorial Library Head Librarian Peggi Beseres.

Will your library win?Is your local library entered for theWe Love Libraries! drawing? Whynot check with the librarians—while you’re dropping off book-marks, offering to give a program,or volunteering to help for a coupleof hours? Maybe you could evenoffer to help arrange the display fortheir entry.

Margaret Maron, The Buzzard Table, GrandCentral/Hachette, November, Print

Rosemary McCracken’s Safe Harbor, ImajinBooks, March, Print and Electronic, wasnominated for the CWA Debut DaggerAward.

Angela Parson Myers, When the Moon IsGibbous and Waxing, Etopia Press, May,Electronic

Helen Macie Osterman, Emma Winberryand the Evil Eye, A Prequel, WeavingDreams Publishing, September, Print

Alice P. Radin, “The Chinese Golden DragonAcrobat,” Independent Ink, March,Electronic

Alexandra Schiller, The Case of the RabblineRabbi: A Mordecai Maccabbee Mystery,Bookstand, July

Sarah R. Shaber, Louise’s Gamble, SevernHouse, May, Print

Connie Shelton, Phantoms Can Be Murder:Charlie Parker Mystery #13, Secret StaircaseBooks, May, Print

Clea Simon, True Grey, Severn House,December, Print

Triss Stein, Brooklyn Bones, Poisoned PenPress, February 2013, Print

Elizabeth Stevens, Mister D, BigTentBooks,June, Print, Electronic

Mary Vermillion, Seminal Murder, RegalCrest Books/Bella Books, May, Print,Electronic

Sarah Wisseman, The Bootlegger’s Nephew,Hilliard and Harris, February, Print

Elizabeth Zelvin, “Shifting Is for the Goyim”in Untreed Reads, July, Electronic

Lou Allin, Contingency Plan, Orca BooksOctober, Print

G.B. Pool, The Johnny Casino Casebook 1—Past Imperfect, Spygame Press, July, Print

G.B. Pool, From Light to Dark, SpygamePress, October, Print

Janice Cantore, Abducted, TyndalePublishers, August, Print

kelly Cochran, Buying Time,BookRise/kindle, April, Print

Sheila Connolly, Sour Apples, Berkley PrimeCrime, August, Print, Electronic

Vicki Delany, More than Sorrow, PoisonedPen Press, September, Print

Nancy DeMarco, Finding Sara, Brions Glen,March, a kindle Book Review semi-finalistin Best Indie Books of 2012

Connie Archer, Spoonful of Murder, BerkleyPrime Crime, August, Print

kaitlyn Dunnett, Bagpipes, Brides, andHomicides, kensington, July, Print,Electronic

Diane Fanning, False Front, Severn House,April, Print

Diane Fanning, Her Deadly Web, St. Martin’sPress, January, Print

Diane Fanning, Wrong Turn, Severn House,January, Print

Diane Fanning, Murder on the Homefront, St.Martin’s Press, February, Print

kate Fellowes, “The Housewarming” inWoman’s World Magazine, Arpil

kate Fellowes, “The Paws in Our Plans” inChicken Soup for the Soul: Here Comes theBride, May, Print

kate Fellowes, Thunder in the Night,Crimson Romance, June, Electronic

Yves Fey, Floats the Dark Shadow, BearCatPress, Lightning Source, September, Print,Electronic

Waverly Curtis, Dial C for Chihuahua,kensington Books, October, Print

Shelley Freydont, Foul Play at the Fair—ACelebration Bay Mystery, Berkley PrimeCrime, September, Print

The DocketSusan Furlong-Bolliger, “Murder: A League

of Its Own” in Over My Dead Body! maga-zine, May, Electronic

Michelle Gagnon, Don’t Turn Around,Harper Collins, August, Print

Michelle Gagnon, Vengeance,Mulholland/Little, Brown, April, Print

kaye George, Smoke, CreateSpace, July,Print, Electronic

Barb Goffman, “The Lord Is My Shamus” inChesapeake Crimes: This Job Is Murder,Wildside Press, May, Print, Electronic

Madeline (M.M.) Gornell, Lies ofConvenience, Champlain Avenue Books,Inc., May, Print, Electronic

Carolyn Hart, What the Cat Saw, Berkley,September, Print

Denise M. Hartman, Killed In Kruger, JuneElectronic

Janet Hubbard, Champagne: The Farewell,Poisoned Pen Press, August, Print

Dawn Ireland, Hot Chocolate, ArtisticOrigins Inc./uSA, May, Print

Lucy Burdette, Death in Four Courses,NAL/Signet, September, Print

Morgan James, Quiet Killing, CreateSpace,June, Print, Electronic

Alma katsu, The Reckoning, GalleryBooks/Simon & Schuster, June, Print

April kelly, Winged, Flight Risk Books,February, Print

April kelly & Marsha Lyons, Murder in OneTake, Flight Risk Books, April, Print,Electronic

April kelly, Murder: Take Two, Flight RiskBooks, April, Print, Electronic

Janice Law, “The General” in Vengeance,Mulholland Books, April, Print

Janice Law, “The Best Thing for the Liver” inAlfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, July/August, Print

Steve Liskow, Run Straight Down,CreateSpace, August, Print, Electronic

G.M. Malliet’s Wicked Autumn was nomi-nated for the Agatha and Dilys Awards.