Calls for Submission New Releases Awards Nominations The Next Chapter Meeting Author Appearances Festivals & Fairs Upcoming Webinars Writers’ Conferences and More!
CALLS FOR SUBMISSION:
1) The deadline to submit a short story to Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime for its 2023 anthology, “Entertainment To Die For,” is May 31, 2022. The judges of this blind contest will consider stories up to 7500 words in any sub-genre of crime. Guidelines here: https://www.sistersincrimela.com/anthologies/
2) Partners In Crime, the San Diego Chapter of Sisters in Crime, seeks stories of up to 5000 words for its 2023 short story collection, “Crime Under The Sun.” The deadline is 6/15/22. Stores will be chosen blind and edited by none other than SinCLA’s own Matt Coyle, Naomi Hirahara, add Tammy Kaehler! https://sistersincrimesd.org
3) Bouchercon’s 2023 anthology, tentatively titled Peril Under The Palms, is open for submissions. The deadline is October 15, 2022 https://bouchercon2023.com/anthology/
5) Check out the Calls for Submission on “Published To Death,” a website for authors. There aren’t any calls specifically for mystery/crime stories, but these outlets, with deadlines in May, could be appropriate for your work: Riddlebird, Dark Recesses, Lamplight, Alphabet Box, Chicken Soup for the Soul (true stories), Prairie Fire, Split Lip Magazine, One Story. https://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2022/04/110-calls-for-submissions-in-may-2022.html
New Releases !
Vanessa Ryan’s latest novel
The Trouble with Murder has hit the shelves!
Hetty Carson was once one of the upwardly mobile of the Los Angeles jet-set. Then her husband walked off with millions of embezzled funds and all of Hetty’s credibility. What began as a search for the ex has turned into a new career: detective. https://vanessaaryan.com
… the first in a new series by Agatha award-winning author, Ellen Byron
Twenty-eight-year-old widow Ricki James leaves Los Angeles to start a new life in New Orleans. Her career dream comes true when she joins the quirky staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, the spectacular home of late bon vivant Genevieve “Vee” Charbonnet. Ricki is excited about launching the museum’s gift shop, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware, but then, digging through a trunk of vintage cookbooks, she discovers the body of a cantankerous Bon Vee employee who was fired for stealing books.
The skills Ricky has developed ferreting out hidden vintage treasures come in handy for investigations. But both her business and Bon Vee could wind up as deadstock when Ricki’s past as curator of a billionaire’s first edition collection comes back to haunt her.
Will Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware be a success… or a recipe for disaster?
———————————————————————-
He’ll Steal Your Heart!
A medieval thief and conman attempts the ultimate crime: stealing the Crown Jewels from The Tower of London. It’s Ocean’s 11 in the Middle Ages!
Jeri Westerson’s new novel Oswald the Thief comes out May 28. It’ll be available on Amazon in ebook, hardcover, and paperback, Google Play Books, Smashwords (that includes Apple and Overdrive), Kobo, and Nook.
———————————————————————-
Tori Eldridge’s latest novel,
Dance Among the Flames, will be released May 24
A “stunningly original novel” (F. Paul Wilson) about a desperate mother who rises from the slums of Brazil to become a powerful wielder of Quimbanda magic.
“Astonishing and challenging… An emotional powerhouse!” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
———————————————————————-
Mike Befeler’s mystery novel,
Old Detectives Home, the first book in the Omnipodge Trilogy,
was published April 27 by Encircle Publications in both print and e-book editions. Imagine a retirement home populated with residents including an aging Hercule Poirot and a dementia-suffering Sherlock Holmes and run by staff including E. A Poe, Art Doyle, Dot Sayers and Dash Hammett. In this light-hearted spoof, every character is either a namesake of a person from the mystery writing world or a character from a mystery novel.
due out on June 14 from Penguin / Random House is the latest novel from Nina Sadowsky
Nina explains: “Privacy was conceived at the height of Southern California’s Covid lockdown. I was asking myself: ‘How much can I take before I break?’ and watching as others all around me reached their limits. Racial tensions were heaving, fear seemed to lurk everywhere. The psychological stress of human isolation and a reliance on technological connection permeated every interaction. We are all dangerously exposed, I realized. We live in a constant cycle of sharing and gathering information, and all that data is a form of currency. These whirling thoughts led to a thriller in which I tested the limits of all of my characters against these topical themes.”
See below for invite to an interactive workshop with the author on “From Film to Books and Back Again”
———————————————————————-
Anne Louise Bannon’s newest novel,
My Sweet Lisa, is now out.
Finally, it’s real love… Now what?
Lisa Wycherly’s surprise birthday party ends in disaster when she’s kidnapped off the street. Her partner, Sid Hackbirn, is so devastated that he loses his interest in sleeping around – the one thing keeping the two of them apart. It turns out the kidnappers got the wrong target. There’s also a defecting KGB agent playing games with the CIA, who are involved with the Colombian kidnappers. Then Lisa’s recovery sets in motion a whole other set of challenges as she and Sid deal with her trauma and try to get the KGB agent under control, only to find that Sid’s randy past will continue to haunt them. The only thing worse? Figuring out how to be a couple.
———————————————————————-
The Alaskan Blonde: Sex, Secrets, and the Hollywood Story that Shocked America,
a true crime tale by James Bartlett
The Alaskan Blonde: Sex, Secrets, and the Hollywood Story that Shocked America was released in March and can be purchased on Amazon and at local bookstores.
Wealthy businessman Cecil Wells was killed in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1953, and his younger, blonde wife Diane – and her lover, Black musician Johnny Warren – were indicted for the crime, though it remains unsolved to this day. This book reexamines the FBI/police investigation, interviews living family members, uncovers new evidence, and looks again at a case that was a huge scandal in Jim Crow America, made the pages of Life, Newsweek, Jet and the pulp magazines, and was a rare story from then-territorial Alaska that hit the headlines around the world.
“All the nail-biting suspense and secretive plot of a thriller …” — Looks at Books
———————————————————————-
Gay Toltl Kinman’s new novel Burials
is out now from Mysterious Women press. You can find it on Kindle and in trade paperback on Amazon.
Judge Macklin of the Los Angeles Superior Court is on administrative leave. He and his wife go on a sailing trip—and he comes back alone. Then his goddaughter disappears. Kidnapping is suspected, but the ransom request does not come right away and is a strange one when it does. Macklin can’t save his wife, but he is determined to save his goddaughter. Cover Art by Peggie Chan
———————————————————————-
Gay Toltl Kinman’s The Mystery at the Stables
is the first in a middle reader series featuring three 11-year-olds in the summer before they go into the sixth grade. They live near a racetrack in Southern California. In this story, a valuable racehorse is missing. Horsenapped? It’s a mystery that the young detectives investigate—and solve. On Kindle and in trade paperback Cover Art by Peggie Chan
Awards
Congratulations to Naomi Hirahara for her Edgar Award / Mary Higgins Clark Award, given by Mystery Writers of America, for her novel, Clark and Division
We also congratulate Naomi for her Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery Novel , given by Left Coast Crime, for her novel, Clark and Division
———————————————————————-
Congratulations to Ellen Byron for her Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel, given by Malice Domestic, for her novel, Cajun Kiss of Death. Pending Nominations
CONGRATS to Matt Coyle and Naomi Hirahara for their Barry Award nominations for Best Novel.
Matt’s nominated book is Last Redemption. Naomi’s nominated book is Clark and Division.
Their fellow Barry Award nominees include Michael Connelly, S.A. Crosby, and Stephen King. The winner will be announced at the opening of Bouchercon in Minneapolis on September 8, 2022.
2) TESS GERRITSEN, author of Rizzoli and Isles, will join the Gand Canyon Chapter of Sisters in Crime on the evening of May 5 to talk about “Building a Blockbuster Career One Step at a Time.” Begins ad 5 pm. Attendance is free but you must register in advance. https://grandcanyonwriters.com/draft-2-fireside-chats-2021/
4) JANE FRIEDMAN’S WRITING ADVICE ARCHIVES Free. https://www.janefriedman.com/writing-advice-archive/ Jane Friedman has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in business strategy for authors and publishers. She’s the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential industry newsletter for authors, and has previously worked for Writer’s Digest and the Virginia Quarterly Review. In 2019, Jane was awarded Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World; her newsletter was awarded Media Outlet of the Year in 2020.
Monthly Meeting of Sisters in Crime Los Angeles Summer Sizzle!
Our Sizzling Summer Series is a collaboration between the Sisters in Crime Chapters in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and Northern California. During the months of June through September, each chapter takes a turn hosting a zoom meeting for the four chapters. The combined audience builds a broader community and wider perspective.
The next meeting will be hosted by the San Diego Chapter of Sisters in Crime Saturday June 11 at 2 pm on Zoom link to follow Matt Coyle will interview special guest, author Allison Brennan.
Upcoming Author Appearances & Events:
Tori Eldridge celebrates the release of Dance Among the Flames
Join SinC-Central Virginia on May 14, 11 am PST (2 p.m. EDT) “Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer” with award-winning crime writer Sue Coletta.
Register by sending an email with your name and chapter affiliation to [email protected]. We will send you the Zoom link. The program will not be recorded.
If you have questions about this presentation, please send them to [email protected]. Please do not “reply” or “reply all” to this email, since everyone on the distribution list will receive your response.
Need research for your serial killer character? In this presentation Sue Coletta covers the FBI definition of serial killers, modus operandi vs. signature, seven key phases to the ritual of serial killing, serial killer categories & classifications, male vs. female serial killers, sociopath vs. psychopath, and nature vs. nurture.
Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”) and is a Resident Coach on Writers Helping Writers.
Sue lives with her husband in New Hampshire. She writes two psychological thriller series and narrative nonfiction/true crime and taught a 5-week serial killer course for EdAdvance in CT. She also appeared in an Emmy award-winning true crime series. Learn more about Sue and her books at https://suecoletta.com.
Join Sisters in Crime San Diego Chapter Partners in Crime for a talk by Rex Pickett May 14, 2:00 p.m. PST
On Sat, May 14, at 2pm, Pacific Time, join the San Diego chapter “Partners in Crime” for a talk by San Diego author Rex Pickett. The Archivist, his latest book, is set around the University of California San Diego campus. Rex will be tuning in for the event from New Zealand, where his is writing Sideways, NZ.
The BOOK: When archivist Nadia Fontaine is found dead of an apparent drowning, Emily Snow is hired by Regents University to finish the job she started — to organize and process the papers of Raymond West, a famous Pulitzer Prize-winning author who has been short-listed for the Nobel. She finds a Pandora’s box of erotically and intellectually charged correspondence between Raymond West and the late Nadia Fontaine. Through their archived emails, Emily goes back a year in time and relives the tragic trajectory of their passionate love affair. Did Nadia really drown accidentally, as the police report concluded, or could it have been suicide, or, even worse, murder?
Rex Pickett is the critically-acclaimed author of the novel Sideways, which was adapted into the iconic, award-winning feature film. Rex is also the author of two Sideways sequels – the IPPY Gold Medal award-winning Vertical, and Sideways 3: Chile. He was the screenwriter of My Mother Dreams the Satan’s Disciples in New York, which captured the 2000 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short, making Rex, technically, a two-time Oscar-winning writer.
When: May 14, 2022 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Spring 2022 Fireside Chat with TESS GERRITSEN – Internationally Bestselling Author of the Rizzoli & Isles Mysteries, Screenplays, Thrillers and Romantic Suspense.
Building A Blockbuster Career, One Creative Step at a Time!
How did Tess develop her writing career and become a bestselling author?
What are the keys to keeping a long-time series fresh and exciting, with new ideas and innovative plots?
How do authors overcome the potential risks of writing several diverse genres, and retain their readers and fan base?
Which genres have been the most challenging to write and why?
Learn Tess’s Tips on research for complex stories.
What should authors know, to successfully collaborate with other writers?
How has the publishing industry changed in recent decades, and what’s coming up?
What are the most important lessons Tess has learned during her career—that may help other authors?
Mary Desch’s medical career, set mostly in private practice, exceeded thirty years of focusing on psychiatric care for adults, including Board Certification with additional qualifications in Addiction Psychiatry. She worked in various settings beyond office outpatients, such as hospital, crisis, community clinics, consultation to managed care, the public sector, residential treatment centers, and more. Mary will talk with us about psychiatric topics like: what a sociopath is, if you can tell if someone is lying; how personality disorders present; what might drive someone to kill; what an addict acts like, etc.
Don’t miss this in-depth discussion essential to writers!
Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime April 7th, 6:30 pm EST (3:00 p.m PST)
The Odd Ducks and Secret Keepers – Creating Appealing Characters by Mining (and Augmenting) Your Own Family History
The Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime hopes you can join us on April 7th at 6:30 pm EDT, when Patrick Coleman — Family Detective — will speak to us about his fifty year quest to document his family stories. Patrick, a retired biochemist, will also explain advances in DNA identification and its uses in genetic genealogy.
If you are coming in person, please send an email to [email protected] so we know how many to expect.
Location: The Hollywood Women’s Club 1749 N. La Brea Ave. (just South of Franklin) Los Angeles CA 90046 Parking: The club has its own parking lot, which we are welcome to use. Enter using the driveway just South of the building. Entry: The club does not use the front entrance. Please enter the side door from the driveway. Our meeting room is the lounge.
Covid Precautions:
Although LA County has relaxed its indoor masking requirements, we want everyone to feel safe and comfortable, and no one to get sick. We will be requiring proof of vaccination at entry and ask that you wear a mask during the meeting unless you are a speaker. We continue to follow the case counts and will revise our requirements when indicated.
Featured Speaker
Dennis Palumbo
Dennis Palumbo
Writer’s Block: What it Means—and What it Doesn’t
Formerly a Hollywood screenwriter (My Favorite Year; Welcome Back, Kotter, etc.), Dennis Palumbo is a licensed psychotherapist and author. His mystery fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Strand and elsewhere, and is collected in From Crime to Crime (Tallfellow Press). His series of award-winning mystery thrillers (Mirror Image, Fever Dream, Night Terrors, Phantom Limb, Head Wounds, and the latest, Panic Attack) feature Daniel Rinaldi, a psychologist and trauma expert who consults with the Pittsburgh Police.
About Panic Attack: Psychologist Daniel Rinaldi is no stranger to trauma. A survivor of not one, but two attempts on his life by a deranged killer, the therapist also counsels trauma patients in his private practice, and contracts with the Pittsburgh Police to help victims of violent crime cope with their experience.
Readers: HJ Forman (our Corresponding Secretary, Henry Jay) was born and raised in New York City. In the latter part of a long and successful career as an award-winning academic biomedical scientist, he began writing mysteries. He is willing to admit that a small percentage of the inhabitants of academia are unworthy of admiration.
Alexia Forman, a proud Philadelphian, went from painting pictures with oils to painting them with words. In her long history as an academic librarian, she also discovered how academia mirrors the rest of society. The Formans live in Southern California. They have one daughter of whom they are extremely proud and a tiny Yorkshire Terrier who is delighted to be the only real character in the book.
In Toxic Vengeance, bodies of respected, highly educated men and women are dropping in different parts of the country. Why are all the victims poisoned even when they die by different means? It takes fiery redhead police detective Cindy Firestone from a Washington, D.C. suburb to spot a connection. She brings the case to the attention of FBI Special Agent Steve Jude, who recognizes her intelligence and enjoys her packaging. Together, they investigate the many suspects and learn about the world of academic science, which most outsiders assume to be sedate. How wrong is that!
Visit the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles Booth!
