What’s New This Month – May 2023

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE

New Releases
New Formats & Re-Releases
Awards, Nominations & Praise
Author Appearances
Conferences and Festivals

New Releases

Marjorie McCown‘s debut novel, FINAL CUT, will be released in June by Crooked Lane. Launch party that eve. See below.

Mark Bruce’s short story, “Minerva James and the River God,” appears in the May-June issue of ALFRED HITCHCOCK MYSTERY MAGAZINE. It’s the third appearance of Minerva in the magazine. His non-mystery short story, “The Occasional Girl,” came out in Jerry Jazz Magazine, a website, last month.

Gary Phillips is the editor of the new short story collection GET UP OFFA THAT THING: CRIME FICTION INSPIRED BY THE SONGS OF JAMES BROWN out now from Down & Out Books. In addition to a story by Gary, the collection includes work by SinC/LA member and six-time Bram Stoker Award winner, Lisa Morton.

Out now is MAYHEM, MADNESS & STRANGE STORIES OF LOS ANGELES by James T. Bartlett, the first book in the GOURMET GHOSTS (Pocket Guides) series. Available on Amazon and at LA bookstores. More information at www.gourmetghosts.com

New Formats & Re-Releases

James T. Bartlett’s true crime book THE ALASKAN BLONDE: SEX, SECRETS, AND THE HOLLYWOOD STORY THAT SHOCKED AMERICA will be available on audiobook via Audible this month. More information at www.thealaskanblonde.com

Awards, Nominations & Praise

Congrats to Naomi Hirahara whose novel SUMMER OF THE BIG BACHI (2004) was named by the Los Angeles Times last month as one of the 100 essential books about Los Angeles, alongside novels by Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, Walter Mosley, and Ross Macdonald.

PROMOPHOBIA, edited by former SinC/LA President Diane Vallere, won the 2023 Agatha Award for Best Non Fiction. The book includes essays by Mike Befeler, Ellen Byron, Matt Coyle, Daryl Wood Gerber, Sheila Lowe, Patricia Smiley, and Pamela Samuels Young. Congratulations everyone!!

Mary Keenan‘s SNOWED has been shortlisted for the 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for best unpublished novel. Winners will be announced in late May. Good luck, Mary!

Author Appearances

Tori Eldridge, Paula Bernstein, Naomi Hirahara, Jeri Westerson, and Julia Bricklin will appear Saturday May 6 at 2 pm on a panel discussing “Not Quite Silenced Voices” at LitFest in the Dena a free event tat the Mountain View Mausoleum in Altadena. https://litfestpasadena.org/

Mike Befeler will talk about “Lessons Learned as an Author” with Southwestern Manuscripters on Saturday, June 3 from 2 to 4 PM at the Palos Verdes Library Community Room, 701 Silver Spur Road, Palos Verdes.

Laurie Stevens will be interviewed by The Reading Nook (https://thereadingnook.home.blog/) and The Blackbird Writers (https://www.youtube.com/@blackbirdwriters996) to discuss switching genres (suspense to humor!) Both interviews go live the first week of May.

There will be a launch party on June 6 at 7 pm at Book Soup for Marjorie McCown‘s debut novel, FINAL CUT. After that, her book tour continues with stops in Minneapolis, New York, Chapel Hill and more.

Gary Phillips was the recent guest on SinC national’s “Writers Podcast.” Listen here: https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/Gary_Phillips .

Conferences and Festivals

California Crime Writers Conference: The premier craft conference for crime writers is back live in the City of Angels. Two days of workshops covering everything from forensics to film option contracts. The program is finalized with a fantastic line up of workshops and speakers. See the list here: https://ccwconference.org/schedule/. Plus we’ll have lunches and networking, a bookstore and a silent auction, and more! There’s still time to register. https://ccwconference.org/registration/

LitFest in the Dena: Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7 from 12:30 to 6:00 pm each day at the Mountain View Mausoleum in Altadena. Admission is free. https://litfestpasadena.org/

ThrillerFestXVIII: New York City May 30 – June 3. The fee ranges from $350 to more than $1500 depending on which of a half-dozen offerings you choose, including MasterClass, PitchFest, QueryFest, CraftFest and ThrillerFest Awards Banquet. https://thrillerfest.com

Sleuth Fest: Boca Raton, July 6-9. Sponsored by the Florida Chapter of MWA. Fee in the range of $250. https://sleuthfest.com

Bouchercon: San Diego August 30 – September 3. Our own Naomi Hirahara is a toastmaster. Fee: $ 230. https://bouchercon2023.com