Tag Archive for: Sisters in Crime

Sisters in Crime’s Guppy Chapter Releases its Seventh Anthology

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by Paula Gail Benson

The anthologies organized and published by the online Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime have had an enduring influence in nurturing both new and established authors and in encouraging more readers and writers of short stories. The recently released Hook, Line, and Sinker (organized by Debra H. Goldstein and Carol L. Wright) is the seventh in the series and features twenty-three stories. Emily P.W. Murphy is the anthology editor and cover designer.

An invaluable part of appearing in a Guppy anthology is working with the organizers and other authors on promotions. Following are the descriptions provided by the contributors for their stories in Hook, Line, and Sinker.

Now available in Kindle and Paperback, why not add Hook, Line, and Sinker to your “to be read” list?

Sandra Benson – “Manual for Success”

Pharoahs were not the only ones buried by pyramid schemes. Krystal Markham plans to make money – or at least replace the money she took—by selling coffin franchises for EverRest. Using the manual for success EverRest provided, will she be able to? Or will her desperation lead her to bury something – or someone – else?

C.N. Buchholz – “Truth Be Told”

There are almost 100,000 psychics working in the US. How many of them would you trust? How many should you trust? This tale of sleight of hand, deception, and death will have you on the edge of your seat.

Lida Bushloper – “Senior Discount”

A remote spot in a parking lot. A vulnerable senior citizen (don’t call her that to her face!) with a broken-down car. A stranger approaches….if you think you know the rest, “Senior Discount” will give you a secret surprise.

Judith Carlough – “Man Up in the Air”

We’ve all heard about – or lived – a midlife crisis. We may think we know what will happen when Macon’s body meets Ashleigh, a beautiful flight attendant. Can he resist the temptation? A story that appears as sweet as carrot cake can have a very spicey bite!

Kait Carson – “Gutted, Filleted, and Fried”

Do you trust your spouse? Should you? Or, across the breakfast table do you think, there are plenty more fish in the sea? This tale of betrayal and surprise is cold enough to store fresh produce at Costco.

Susan Daly – “The Americanization of Jack MacKenzie”

A famous director said, “Film is a battleground.” In “The Americanization of Jack Mackenzie,” the battleground would appear to be Julie’s hometown of November Falls, Ontario, Canada. Yet, in this brilliant, twisting tale, the fight for preserving the town’s Canadian sweetness is mapped with devious strategy.

M.R. Dimond – “Playing It Again”

Detective Marie-Louise “Lou” Delacroix turns her investigative talents to a blackmail case involving a scandal, an inheritance, and some of New Orleans best beignets. Lou is smart, observant, and accustomed to navigating the ins and outs of New Orleans criminal underworld, but will she give up this important case to follow her lover to California? Or will the life and death stakes of the case keep her in the Big Easy?

Mary Dutta – “The Grift of the Magi”

Does the saying “lesser artists borrow, good artists steal” apply to the art of a good fraud? “The Grift of the Magi” takes the reader through a brilliantly twisting con where the reader is never sure who is the true owner of an Old Masters painting of the Adoration of the Magi and who is the master con artist crafting a beautiful portrait of a swindle.

Kate Fellowes – “The Buddy System”

Bennett is always the new kid in school. He tried to fit in, but it all felt pretty fake. He and the school bully Max are thrown together because neither have any friends. Will Bennett fit in with Max and his family? Or will it be another counterfeit experience?

Wrona Gall – “Capone’s Chair”

Nona Ponticelli is looking forward to moving into Labella Active Living but first, she needs to empty her apartment of 50 years of Mikasa dishes and her antique furniture. But Chicago is full of gangsters who might take advantage of her. This story shows us that gray hair does not mean a feeble brain and, as Nona eats her chocolate creams, she’s got a plan in the works worthy of Capone himself.

Vinnie Hansen – “Perfect Partner”

Over 300 million people use dating apps like Perfect Partner. Who could resist new love that is literally in the palm of your hand? That’s what Maya thinks when she starts texting with Adam – a man as handsome as original sin. But is the dating app a clearinghouse where lonely hearts and sweetheart swindlers meet? In “Perfect Partner,” we are not sure – whose heart – or wallet – will be stolen.

Ann Michelle Harris – “Changeling”

Who can resist a needy child? That’s what Shane is counting on when she takes another woman’s toddler out to test the limits of that question. This uncompromising tale of grifting will have the reader spellbound.

Kim Keeline – “Occupied With Death”

Nilda Santos does not like to be called the Death Doula, but that’s what she is. With poise and practice, she helps people prepare to die. But when a missing heir shows up at Eduardo Calvera’s funeral, possibly disinheriting his nephew, Nilda feels compelled to ask questions. As she investigates, Nilda finds secrets hidden in Eduardo’s retirement home that surprise even the Death Doula.

Jane Limprecht – “Net Profit and Loss”

Vacationing retirees Maggie and Ben Springfield encounter two internet entrepreneurs in a beachside Florida bar on a sunny afternoon: one runs an online loan modification company, the other operates an internet publishing business. Later, over tacos on their timeshare balcony, the vacationers contemplate whether their new acquaintances are dodgy scammers bent on fraud. Read this lighthearted tale to discover what Maggie and Ben do next.

Sally Milliken – “Trailblazer”

Brie’s life seems to be a series of Mondays, focused on work and trying to climb the corporate ladder. A friend encourages her to try online dating after Brie realizes that if she feels she’s peaked she needs to find a new mountain. When she meets Flynn, an experienced hiker, she’s ready to track him along a surprising new trail of deceit.

M.A. Monnin – “Just Another Shot in the Dark”

Raymond knows the success of any scam hinges on the savviness of the mark. He learned that from his father. Now Dad wants a brand new walker, which he can get with Seth’s new con, which promises to be more than just a shot in the dark.

A.W. Powers – “Restitution”

Is it nonsense or a sixth sense? That’s what parapsychologist John Thompson is trying to find out when he visits Madame Varna. Can Madame Varna truly channel the spirit of John’s sister? Or will a different ghost from the past make an unexpected appearance at the séance? This story will leave you breathless!

Merrilee Robson – “The Ass-In”

Did you ever just have one of those days? Wally sure is having one. Money goes missing. Police show up. There’s a fall from the second story. Maybe there’s someone smoking something they should not. But everything might have been all right for Wally, if not for the damn dog!

KM Rockwood – “Dear Lathea”

Sweetheart swindling can be a lucrative business, just ask Roderick, dear Lathea Markowitz’s long-time partner. Even though Ginger, Lathea’s cat, does not care for him, Roderick lives in Lathea’s home, and remains lovingly available to take the dear lady to fentanyl-laced doctor’s appointments and will-altering lawyer’s office visits. Is all doomed for Lathea? Will Ginger end up at the pound after Lathea dies? Or, is it “pawsible” that Roderick might have a more “furmidible” enemy than he could ever imagine?

Lisa Anne Rothstein – “Catch and Release”

Amanda Wallingford has cheated death once. Her time in the tropical paradise of St. Hilaire was supposed to restore her spirits before death patiently called again. However, Amanda finds that, for all the island’s beauty, St. Hilaire hides many secrets. Could one of them be that death has followed her? This taut thriller will make you suspicious of your next plate of sushi!

Steve Shrott – “Crime and Convenience”

It’s an ordinary convenience store with some extraordinary characters. “Crime and Convenience” disturbs the surface of your daily coffee run in a way that you will never forget.

Frances Stratford – “Wise Enough to Play the Fool”

July 28, 1540 was a busy day at Henry VIII’s court. That morning he married his fifth wife. Before his midday meal, Henry VIII sent the architect of his fourth marriage, Chancellor Thomas Cromwell, to death in the Tower of London. Yet many voices in the Tudor court worked to save Cromwell from the headsman’s axe, reminding the king that Cromwell was the king’s most faithful servant. So who was the cloaked figure who stole into the palace under cover of darkness and convinced Henry VIII to execute his most capable minister?

Shannon Taft – “Research”

Becca is a psychic and fraud from East Nowheresville. She and her dog Nostradamus have an established rapport that, along with Becca’s ability to research people’s deepest secrets, puts clients at ease. But when Becca unexpectedly finds one of her marks dead, she becomes a murder suspect. Will her skills as a researcher help expose who was the real fraud?

Reeled in by the Hook, Line, and Sinker short story anthology

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Reeled in by the Hook, Line, and Sinker short story anthology by Debra H. Goldstein

I’m a sucker for a good whodunit. Whether serious or humorous, I find figuring out mysteries challenging and fun. Best of all, I relax and forget anything worrying me while I lose myself in the author’s storyline. Timewise, it works best for me when it is a collection of short stories because I can grab short bites of downtime when my schedule allows. That’s why I found Hook, Line, and Sinker: the Seventh Guppy Anthology to be delightful.

For those who aren’t familiar with the Guppies, that is short for the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. With over 1000 members, the chapter is an online presence offering a list serv, subgroups, classes, critique groups, craft discussions, and the opportunity to be part of a bi-annual anthology process. For the anthology, a theme is established and then there is an open submission period. Non-Guppy judges evaluate and rank the stories. In this case, the top twenty-three stories dealing with grifters, con artists, and their marks were compiled into Hook, Line, and Sinker, an anthology edited by Emily P.W. Murphy and published by Wolf’s Echo Press.

Although every story shows that devious plots and plans don’t always go as planned, each story is different. As one turns the pages, one finds characters who range from senior citizens to movie producers to séance attendees. The diversity of the characters, voices, and plots make for an enjoyable read. Contributing authors are Sandra Benson, C.N. Buchholz, Lida Bushloper, Judith Carlough, Kait Carson, Susan Daly, M.R. Dimond, Mary Dutta, Kate Fellowes, Wrona Gail, Vinnie Hansen, Ann Michelle Harris, Kim Keeline, Jane Limprecht, Sally Milliken, M.A. Monnin, A.W. Powers, Merrilee Robson, KM Rockwood, Lisa Anne Rothstein, Steve Shrott, Frances Stratford, and Shannon Taft. The interesting thing is that some, like KM Rockwood, are well-established short story writers, but for others, like Sandra Benson, it is their first publication.

For a fun and relaxing read, I highly recommend picking up a print or e-book version of Hook, Line, and Sinker: the Seventh Guppy Anthology. One disclaimer though, Carol L. Wright and I, on behalf of the Guppies, were the co-coordinators of the project. That said, we handled technical issues, but the stories themselves were blindly picked for their quality. Even without participating behind the scenes, I can honestly say the book reeled me in.

 

 

 

 

A Tale of Two Chapters: Sisters in Crime Across the Country, Part One

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by Paula Gail Benson

During 2020, the year of the pandemic, when so many meetings
went from being in-person to virtual, I had the good fortune to meet Sonja
Hazzard-Webster online. Sonja was the President of the Capitol Crimes Chapter
of Sisters in Crime (based in Sacramento, California) and I was the President
of the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime (based in Columbia, South Carolina).
When Palmetto Chapter had to convert its annual Mystery in the Midlands program
to an online format, we sent the information out on the Sisters in Crime
Presidents’ List Serv. We were lucky. With Charlaine Harris as our keynote and
people anxious to attend writing conferences, we had over 900 people to
register.

What meant a great deal to me in 2020 was that Sonja reached
out to me with encouragement. She had links to South Carolina and registered to
support us. Our friendship was online only, but very genuine. I remember “meeting”
her in person at a virtual cocktail hour hosted by then SinC President Lori
Rader-Day. I witnessed Sonja’s vivacious charm, which captured everyone’s
heart.

Sonja Hazzard-Webster

Sonja passed away suddenly on June 15, 2020, but her happy
spirit continues to guide the Capitol Crimes Chapter. Because Sonja’s kindness
meant so much to me, I decided to join the Capitol Crimes Chapter. Penny Manson,
who succeeded Sonja as President, became another friend. As Presidents of two
chapters, Penny and I began talking about a joint program, sponsored by both Capitol
Crimes and Palmetto, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Sisters in
Crime.

This year, with Sarah Bresniker as President of the Capitol
Crimes Chapter and Carla Damron as President of the Palmetto Chapter, the two
chapters are working together on a Killer Workshop to be presented on Saturday,
May 14, 2022. This unique program combines two events in one: (1) if you are in
or near Sacramento, you can attend a day-long in-person workshop featuring
authors, forensic and publishing professionals, and an exciting keynote, and
(2) if you can’t get to Sacramento, you can join us virtually for three panels
of authors and an exciting keynote.

Both the in-person and virtual events will share the
exciting keynote, who is Gregg Hurwitz, the New York Times #1 internationally
bestselling author of 23 thrillers, including the ORPHAN X series. His novels
have won numerous awards and been published in 33 languages.

Gregg Hurwitz

The ORPHAN X novels are part of what got me through the pandemic.
Hurwitz’ protagonist, Evan Smoak, is the rumored “Nowhere Man,” a person who
can rescue anyone from the most dire of circumstances. Evan was trained as a
government assassin, but left the program to use his skills for individuals
whose troubles seem unresolvable. DARK HORSE, the seventh novel in the series,
has just been released. In addition to the ORPHAN X novels, Hurwitz has written
screenplays, comics, poetry, and articles.

Early bird registration rates are available for the Killer
Workshop through March 31, 2022. For the in-person event, members pay $65 and
nonmembers $80. After March 31, members pay $75 and nonmembers $90.

For the virtual event, the early bird rate is $25. After
March 31, the virtual event rate is $35.

Here’s a link to register for the Killer Workshop (in-person
or virtual): https://capitolcrimes.wildapricot.org/Workshop

By checking out the information about the Killer Workshop, you
can sign up for a dream editing giveaway at: https://capitolcrimes.wildapricot.org/Dream-Editing-Giveaway (Those who register for the Killer Workshop are automatically eligible for the giveaway!)

During our planning for this in-person/virtual joint chapter
event, I’ve felt Sonja Hazzard-Webster’s continuing enthusiastic influence. She
would have loved the opportunity to bring writers together.

Please consider joining us. Mark your calendars for
Saturday, May 14, 2022. If you can’t attend during the event, the virtual program
will remain available to registrants until July 31, 2022.

And,
please check out tomorrow’s post on Writers Who Kill for more information about
how our two chapters planned the Killer Workshop and selected its participants!


Meeting Yasmin McClinton: Winner of the Eleanor Taylor Bland Award

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Yasmin McClinton

by Paula Gail Benson

Each year, Sisters in Crime presents the Eleanor Taylor Bland grant to assist an emerging writer of color in that writer’s continuing journey.

Born in Boston on December 31, 1944, Eleanor Taylor Bland spent a good portion of her life in Chicago where her husband served in the military. Bland wrote a series of novels about Marti MacAlister, an African American police detective whose big city methods clash with those of her partner Polish-American Vik Jessenovik when she transfers from Chicago to a small town police force. The Wikipedia biography about Ms. Bland quotes Ms. Bland as saying that “the most significant contribution that [African American women writers] have made, collectively, to mystery fiction is the development of the extended family; the permanence of spouses and significant others, most of whom don’t die in the first three chapters; children who are complex, wanted and loved; and even pets.”

On Saturday, September 19, 2020, the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime was pleased to welcome the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland award winner, Yasmin McClinton, as a guest speaker and new member of the chapter. Readers and authors from England, Canada, New York, and California joined the chapter for the Zoom presentation. In particular, it was lovely to have Frankie Bailey in attendance. Frankie worked to establish the Eleanor Taylor Bland award when she served as President of Sisters in Crime.

Yasmin McClinton grew up in Virginia and began writing as an only child, whose companionship was from reading. She came to South Carolina as a military spouse. Following a divorce, she and her two daughters remained in Columbia to make a new start. She has since remarried and has two step-sons.

Throughout her life, she has continued to write. Her first novel was the story of four friends. Her second was a thriller based on background she learned from her parents who are immigrants. She said an agent asked why her thriller’s protagonist didn’t smile more, making her realize that agent was not the person to represent her. Our group agreed Lee Child probably did not field questions about Jack Reacher smiling more.

At the end of her presentation, Yasmin was asked what advice she would give to writers. She said to never give up, even if you feel as if you can’t go farther, try one more time. She said, that was where she was when she applied for the Bland award.

In the Sisters in Crime press release, Yasmin was quoted as saying, “Authors like Ms. Bland show me that women of color–writers of color–can be authors in any genre they want and really bridge gaps. I shared with my daughters that I won this award. My daughters have been through the hardest times of my life. And I wanted to show them that their overly protective, annoying mom has dreams from her childhood coming true, even today. And, she can be chosen for prestigious awards like the Sisters in Crime Eleanor Taylor Bland award. So, Girls, no giving up. Ever!”

Congratulations, Yasmin! We’re looking forward to reading your novels!   

The American Library Association Conference AKA Book Heaven

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by Shari Randall

You may know me as the author of the Lobster Shack Mystery series, but this week I get to wear another hat, that of Library Liaison for Sisters in Crime.

Part of the Library Liaison gig is organizing the Sisters in Crime booth for the American Library Association’s convention in Washington, DC June 21-24. After years working in children’s services at a public library in Virginia, it will feel good to be back in the library world, even if it’s only for a weekend.

Never been to ALA? It’s book heaven. The ALA Conference is a souk of ideas, connections, and fun. Dozens of authors will appear on panels and sign books. There’s a Cooking Stage to celebrate cookbooks with live demonstrations. Speakers! This year the speakers include Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor, award winning children’s author Jason Reynolds, tv talk show star Hoda Kotb, comedian Mo Rocca, graphic novel legend Frank Miller, publishing sensation Tomi Adeyemi, and Star Trek icon George Takei. Talk about something for everyone!

The Exhibit Hall, with hundreds of booths and displays by publishers and other businesses related to libraries, is just as exciting as the speakers. Because librarians are taste makers and influencers, publishers entice them with heaps of swag and give away advance readers copies of books they hope will become best sellers  – stacks of them. Because wheeled carts have been banned from the hall, librarians struggle to get all the free books home – you’ll see them weighed down by bulging tote bags, but smiling through. All those books are a nice problem to have.

But the thing I’m most excited about is the chance to tell librarians, publishers, and readers about Sisters in Crime. Sisters in Crime is a world-wide organization devoted to promoting the advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers.

And we love libraries! Tell your librarian friends to stop by the SINC Booth 1353. We’re doing a giveaway called It’s Raining Books. The library that wins the giveaway will receive a shower of books from over 100 authors – best sellers, award winners, mysteries, thrillers, romantic suspense. The best part? As any librarian who has hauled home all those ARCS can attest, the only downside of ALA is getting all the books home. Well, Sisters in Crime will ship the shower of books to the winning library. #freeshipping

We also offer the Doris Ann Norris We Love Libraries grant. SINC gives a $1,000 grant to one library per month. You can find out more here.
See you at the conference!

Fishy Business – Guppy Anthology – The Motivation Behind its Capers

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Fishy Business – Guppy Anthology – The Motivation Behind its Capers by Debra H. Goldstein

Fishy Business: the Fifth Guppy
Anthology edited
by Linda Rodriguez was officially released last weekend at Malice Domestic. The
submission call required the story to include a caper. I blanked when I thought
about writing a caper. The only caper(s) that came to mind were the ones I get
at the deli on my bagel, nova lox, and cream cheese. And that’s when it hit me –
I should build my caper around what I knew. The result is Nova, Capers, and a Schmear of Cream Cheese.

Reading
the fantastic twenty-one other stories in the anthology, I wondered about the motivation
behind each one. So, I asked:

Did
your personal background play into your caper story? If so, how. If not, what
was the motivation behind your story?


Rita A. Popp – Windfall

The call for caper stories for Fishy
Business fired up my inner Nancy Drew. As a girl, I loved reading about
Nancy fearlessly sleuthing in the dark of night with a flashlight. For my story
“Windfall” I imagined two girls sneaking into an empty house in pursuit of some
sort of hidden treasure. I made the house an old adobe in New Mexico, my home
state for many years, and drew on my experiences teaching community college
students for the contrasting characters of the two girls. So yes, my personal
background played into this story. It was a fun one to write, and I hope
readers will enjoy the caper aspect of it.  


Susan Alice Bickford – Payout
Payback

Absolutely.
Silicon Valley, where I have spent past 28 years, is a place of mythical
success but a lot of that is based on luck. Should you take a chance on this
job or that? What is the upside? How many commas do you have in your personal
net worth? This leads to a great deal of envy and even deceit based on power
and greed. The perfect fertile garden for growing–and justifying–bad
behavior.

Vinnie Hansen –
Room and Board

I’ve been living in Santa Cruz, California, for over
35 years. Its unique environment creeps into all my mysteries. Although I’m not
a surfer, you can’t live here without a bit of surf culture rubbing off. I’ve
stood on the cliffs above Steamer Lane or The Hook many a day admiring the
riders on the waves. And I’ve visited the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, ranked
one of the best surfing museums in the world, many
times. From a special trip my idea for Room
and Board took hold. When I created my characters, I thought of my
neighbor’s twins. They’d grown up fifty yards away, swinging by our house at
the end of Trick-or-Treating so we could dump all our remaining candy into
their bags. They once spontaneously scampered up our towering liquid amber to
rescue our cat. My husband and I sadly witnessed these handsome, likable boys
sink into drug addiction. They gradually wasted away until they were nothing
but skin and bone and hollowed-out eyes hurrying down our street to their next
fix. My stories are always built of these Lego pieces of my life. How they snap
together is a creative, magical surprise—every time. 

James M. Jackson – Power
of Attorney

Two of the themes I write
about are financial crimes and abuse of power. Power occurs when people have
unequal footing. Attorneys, with their knowledge and often positional
authority, often find themselves in positions of great power. With great power
comes great responsibility. In the US, we have a growing population of elderly,
who, because of frail bodies and/or minds are at risk of abuse. The
intersection of these two groups of people was fertile ground for me to explore
through my story.

My personal experiences
shaped the story in two ways. In recent years, I have taken over responsibility
for my mother’s finances and have had to deal with an advisor who I did not
think always had my mother’s best interests in mind. I played soccer in the
distant past and many of those details in the story come from my personal
experience.

T. Y. Euliano – For
Want of a Grade

Though I never decided to steal an exam, my story is
based on my background as a physician who took the MCAT many years ago. As the
mentor to many pre-med students, who invest thousands in test prep resources, I
realize how valuable a stolen entrance exam might be. Because the exam is now
computerized, I had to set the story back before 2007, when it was still
printed in paper booklets. Hence the reference to MySpace instead of Facebook.
It was fun trying to go back in time.


Joan Leotta – It Tastes Like
Cardboard

Not long before the anthology call came up I heard a
news story about a company that put actual wood shavings into some fiber
formula…if memory serves, it was ruled ok by FDA that they did this! So, when
the caper challenge was posed, I decided a flimflam artist who did not hurt
people with her product would be my heroine. I like to cook, so her prowess in
the kitchen is fun for me. Of course I put her in jeopardy because of her poor
choices..but that’s the fun of this story.

Susan Daly – My Night
with the Duke of Edinburgh

My Night with the Duke of Edinburgh takes place in
1951, when Princes Elizabeth and her husband the Duke made a cross-country tour
of Canada. Well, I wasn’t old enough for that tour, but I was up for
many others in subsequent years. I think the massive excitement generated by
the Royal Tour made for a great backdrop for my caper story, when I have a
group of students do a little activism. 

K.M. Rockwood – Scrabble-Rousers

My story, Scrabble Rousers, is based on people I
have known. Old folks who are losing some control over their lives, but still
know what they like, and are not above a bit of chicanery. Young care-giver
types who are determined to “improve” the lot of their clients, whether the
clients like it or not. And my grandmother. She lived to be 104. Volunteer
church ladies would come to the nursing home where she resided for the last few
years of her life, and ask her what she’d like to do. She’d look vague, say,
“Oh, I used to play this word game. Scrabble, was it? Could we try that?”
They’d smile, get out a Scrabble game, and she’d beat the pants off them.

Anna Castle
– The Lost Mine of Don Fernando


My parents retired to Taos, New
Mexico. My mother’s masters degree is in Anthropology and she has long been a
student of the indigenous cultures of the Southwest. She has lots of great
stories, and likes to share interesting things that she reads. She told me about
the Battle of Cienegula in 1854, which took place just north of Taos. A group
of Jicarilla Apaches and Utes defeated a troop of American dragoons. Somehow
that intrigued me. Then I was researching mining fraud for my Moriarty series,
which is all about fraud in the late nineteenth century, and discovered there
are in truth lots of lost mines in the New Mexico wilderness. So then my mother
told about the terrible abuses perpetrated by the American government on the
Apaches in particular and this story came together. It was a lot of fun to
write and I hope to meet all these characters (except the bad guys) in another
story.

Beth Green – Exit Interview

I didn’t pull inspiration
for my story Exit Interview from my
personal experience directly. Instead, I thought it would be fun to play on the
“right man for the job” trope in heist films. For example, in the Oceans
movies, Danny and Debbie Ocean pull in members of their crews based on the
individual’s special skills. Since I wanted to write a slightly satirical
story, I decided to see what would happen if you hired an assassin to do a
thief’s job. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say it doesn’t quite work out as
the client planned!


Raegan Teller – The Great Negotiator

Once you read my story, you’ll understand why I hesitated in answering this question truthfully. The way it happened is that my husband and I were sitting around one evening, sipping a glass of wine and fantasizing about, well, let’s just say, a certain person in our family. What if …? After we finished laughing until we were crying, I sat down and wrote The Great Negotiator. Okay, I’m probably in trouble now.


Chelle Martin – Nine Lives of Husbands & Wives

No, my personal background has nothing to do with
this story. I’ve never swindled anyone, gone through a bad divorce (happily
single), or even owned a cat (allergies). I just decided to write a “cat
story” and somehow it turned into “Nine Lives of Husbands & Wives”. A
few friends have gone through nasty divorces, so maybe they influenced the
storyline a bit. Otherwise, it was just a fun story to write.


Buylink:  https://www.amazon.com/Fishy-Business-Fifth-Guppy-Anthology/dp/1479441376 
https://www.amazon.com/Fishy-Business-Fifth-Guppy-Anthology-ebook/dp/B07QVDWTM8


Where Will Those Ruby Slippers Lead Us?

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by Paula
Gail Benson

 

Toni L.P. Kelner and Dr. Stephen P. Kelner, Jr.
I’ve
read books about and spent time in a number of writing classes where story structure and character
motivations were explained by using examples from The Wizard of Oz. One example would be Debra Dixon’s excellent
text, GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict.

This
past weekend, at a terrific workshop about The Psychology of Writing, organized
by the Atlanta Chapter of Sisters in Crime, with Debra H. Goldstein as event coordinator,
I heard another analogy to Oz’s characters presented by Dr. Stephen P. Kelner,
Jr., husband of author Toni L. P. Kelner (the Laura Fleming and Where Are They Now? series and numerous short stories),
who also writes as Leigh Perry (the Family Skeleton series).

First,
I have to express my admiration for Toni allowing her husband to analyze her reasons
for writing before an audience. I thought it was incredibly brave. When I
mentioned it to her, she brushed it off, saying she was used to it. Still, the
honesty with which she and Stephen approached the subject made it truly
informative for the listeners.

Second,
I think Stephen’s evaluations and theories, explained in greater detail in his
book, Motivate Your Writing!: Using
Motivational Psychology to Energize Your Writing Life, are very insightful.
They certainly helped me to better understand my own writing motivations and characters.

Stephen
suggested that there are three basic motivators:

(1)
achievement,

(2)
affiliation, and

(3)
influence.

He
said these motivators described the goals of the characters we see in The Wizard of Oz and in the Harry Potter
series.

The achiever wants to accomplish a
great deal. This person will do all he or she can to increase production. Like
the Scarecrow and Hermione, they are depended upon for intellect and direction.
What sometimes makes them less effective is their aim for perfection or their
need to micro-manage.

The affiliator is interested in establishing
and building relationships. Like the Tin Man and Ron, they want to be liked.
Sometimes, they can be too anxious about gaining friends or hurting feelings.

The influencer wants to leave a
legacy. This person asks, “Who will remember me?” Like the Lion and Harry,
influencers may be competitive. They may push others aside in order to be
noticed and get ahead.

Photo from etsy.com
Interestingly,
in his studies, Stephen found that although achievement is part of writers’
goals, for most, including Toni, the primary motivator is to influence, to be
remembered. When influence is the focus, a writer needs to find a way to
measure what has been accomplished. Otherwise, the writer may get lost in being
part of a writing community rather than actually producing work. After all, it’s
wonderful to go to conferences and discuss craft with others, but that takes
time away from producing stories.

Photo from the Harry Potter movies
For
Toni, the answer became setting a manageable number of weekly words. She began by aiming for 600 words a day, writing 4 days, for a total of
2,400 per week and approximately 65,000 words per year (at that time the size
of most mystery novels). Once she was able to reach and maintain that goal, she increased
it to 800 words per day.

Both
Toni and Stephen cautioned against selecting a ridiculously high goal, which would
just set a person up for failure. Also, realize that life does not always
proceed at an even pace. There may be times when, due to other obligations, a
writing goal cannot be accomplished. Be forgiving, but get back on track
and, Toni encouraged, always do your best to meet deadlines.

The
workshop was a terrific success and I commend everyone who was involved with it.

I’m
looking forward to reading Stephen’s Motivate
Your Writing! and Toni’s latest as Leigh Perry, The Skeleton Paints a Picture. (Her next, The Skeleton Makes a Friend, is available for pre-order and will be
released November 6, 2018). For more about the workshop, please check out my
post tomorrow on the Writers Who Kill blog.

Meanwhile, keep on
following that Yellow Brick Road!

Magic Moments for Readers and Writers

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Magic
Moments for Readers and Writers by Debra H. Goldstein

Sometimes
a good thing only gets better. Last weekend, I was part of one of those perfect magic
moments as a participant at Mystery in the Midlands

Let me
tell you about how it came together.

A year
ago, Jeffrey Deaver, as president of Mystery Writers of American (MWA) offered
to cover his own expenses and put on workshops throughout the country. On
behalf of SEMWA (the Southeast region), he came to Columbia, South Carolina.
His program was such a success, that involved members of SEMWA and the Palmetto
Chapter of Sisters of Crime hoped they could partner for another dynamic
program. But how?

Perhaps
it was divine providence, but they discovered Sisters in Crime had started a
national speakers

bureau program that permitted a chapter to apply for one of a
finite number of grants which would sponsor designated speakers to come to the
chapter for whatever type of program the chapter wanted. The SinC educational
initiative, which was just starting, was designed to enable all SinC chapters
access to writers and programs they would never be able to fund.

Fingers
crossed, Palmetto’s leadership applied for a SinC grant and was awarded the
opportunity to

have Elaine Viets come to Columbia. Rather than simply inviting local
people to hear Elaine speak, Paula Gail Benson and Riley Miller put their heads
together and decided to forge a partnership between the Palmetto Chapter of SinC
and SEMWA to offer a mystery workshop for readers and writers headlined by
Elaine, but which would also showcase other authors as panelists and master
class teachers.

Because
of Paula and Riley’s vision, what could have been a local affair, became
Mystery in the Midlands, an event attended by eighty plus people from five
different states. Besides Elaine, eighteen other authors were showcased amidst
book sales, signings, and networking. Not only did the conference run smoothly,
but a silent auction of books donated by the participating authors generated
scholarship funds for three children to participate in My First Books SC, a
statewide partnership affiliated with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. It
provides books for registered children from birth to age five.

Mystery
in the Midlands was held in Columbia’s beautiful St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.
The church’s main fellowship hall was used for registration, refreshments, and
the panel discussions, but the three master classes were held in the boardroom,
choir room, and sanctuary. And yes, it was Jewish me, who was assigned to teach
my master class on conflict under the stained windows depicting the Good
Shepherd and other scenes from the Bible. Apparently, things went okay because I
had a good audience and none of us was struck by lightning or any other disasters.

Participants
left the day looking forward to next year’s Mystery in the Midlands. Amazing
what magic a simple idea, good leaders, partnerships and enthusiasm can create. Will I see you there or 


perhaps in Decatur, Georgia on October 6, when SEMWA
and the Atlanta Chapter of SinC co-sponsor an all-day workshop on the
Psychology of Writing featuring Toni L.P. Kelner – Leigh Perry, Dr. Stephen M.
Kelner, and fifteen other authors?

Full Circle for a Debut Author

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by Shari Randall

Many thanks to the Stiletto Gang for inviting me to be part of the, well, gang. This year marks my debut as a novelist with the January 30 publication of the first in my new Lobster Shack Mystery series, Curses, Boiled Again! I’ll be sharing the debut author journey with you here on the third Friday of the month.

As I gear up for my first author panel as a novelist, I
can’t keep a verse from the Talking Heads song “Once in a Lifetime” from going
through my mind: “How did I get here?”
The panel will be held at the same library in Virginia where
I was a children’s librarian for more than 12 years. We’ll sit in chairs in the
same room where I sang “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt” for toddlers, introduced
The Reptile Lady, and dressed up as Professor McGonagle for a Harry Potter
birthday celebration. Talk about a crazy journey!
Fast forward to my panel. I’m thrilled that two of my
favorite authors and friends will be with me, Donna Andrews and Sherry Harris.
How did I get here?
Many writers can point to the moment they started on the
road to becoming a writer – a prize for an elementary school poem, a spot on
the high school yearbook, a sale to a magazine.
My road started as a voracious reader in the library of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel School in Meriden, CT. The librarian, Mrs. Macri, was an
energetic lady who wasn’t much taller than her students but tried to gain a few
inches on us with very high stiletto heels. How I marveled at those heels. (And
how I still marvel at those who can wear them!)
One day in fourth grade, a thick book on a high shelf caught
my eye. Mrs. Macri saw me looking and pulled it down for me. “Oh, you’ll like
this,” she said as she put the book into my hands. She didn’t say, “Oh, that’s
too old for you” or “Try something easier.” The book was The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
I didn’t just like it, dear reader. I devoured it and
started trying to write my own stories.
That started my lifelong love of mysteries.
Fast forward through unfortunate high school poetry, an English
degree, work at my hometown newspaper, editing for a Boston publisher,
freelancing, teaching, doing a masters in library and information science, to
my job in a mid-sized library in the lower level of a shopping mall in a county
of almost a million people near Washington, DC.

Deep into years of budget cuts, our teen section was looking
particularly tired. I was searching for grant money to buy fresh copies of
books when I came across the We Love Libraries program from a writers group
called the Sisters in Crime. I did some research, got my boss’s okay, and
applied for the grant.

We won! One thousand dollars with no string attached. Let me
tell you, ain’t no party like a librarian party where you can buy books with
somebody else’s money!
Four Sisters came to the check presentation ceremony: GM
Malliet, C. Ellett Logan, Terri Bishop, and Ellen Byerrum. They told me about
the local Chesapeake chapter, the Chessies, and the yearly short story
anthology. Did I write? Did I know anyone who had a short story to enter?
Did I ever! Me.
The thrill of having that first short story published, and
holding that book in my hands, is something I’ll never forget. I thought it would be different with this novel, but the thrill is the same with Curses,
Boiled Again!

Eight years, two short stories, four novels (one published,
one ready for submission, one in pieces, one in a drawer awaiting the light of
day) and scores of blog posts have been part of my journey from that grant and
inspirational meeting with the sisters of the Chessie Chapter.
Am I grateful? You bet. As the Sisters say, you write alone,
but you’re never truly alone with sisters. My novel wouldn’t have happened without them. Thank you,
always, Chessies and Sisters in Crime.
I’ll send a copy of Curses, Boiled Again to one commenter – please share something that makes you feel grateful. Thank you for stopping by!

When she’s not committing murder (on
the page, of course), Shari enjoys walking the beach near her house, traveling
and eating the local cuisine, reading, and dancing. She’s currently trying to
talk her husband into a tango class.

She’s had two short stories published
in the Chesapeake Crimes anthology series: “Disco Donna” in Chesapeake Crimes: Homicidal Holidays
and “Keep It Simple” in Chesapeake
Crimes: This Job Is Murder.  A third,
“Pet,” will be published in Chesapeake
Crimes: Fur, Feathers, and Felonies in spring 2018. You can see what’s new with
her at https://us.macmillan.com/author/sharirandall and check out her mermaid
obsession on Instagram @sharirandallauthor.

Unifying Themes – Seven Sinister Sisters Tour

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We’re the Seven Sinister Sisters and we’re on a mission:
Seven mystery authors; seven new releases; seven answers to a central question
at each stop on our tour. The Stiletto Gang is our second stop and our question
this week is…

Is
there a theme underlying or unifying your books?

Cathy
Perkins’ Holly Price mystery series revolves around family and loyalty.
After her father cliches a midlife brain-fart and absconds with his yoga
instructor, Holly agrees to temporarily return to her hometown in order to keep
the family business afloat. Clients can do the damnedest things, however,
making her question all relationships.
With the next book in the series, In It
For The Money, Holly’s cousin is the catalyst for her involvement in
another murder investigation. Refusing to believe the rumors flying around the
extreme sport circuit about his alleged treachery, she follows the money –
another consistent theme – to find the actual villain.   

Sue
Star
also writes about families in chaos. Nell Letterly is a menopausal single
mom, trying to raise her teenage daughter, as well as fielding well-intended
interference from the rest of the family, including Gramps and Nell’s
fashionista, soon-to-be ex sister-in-law. They all disagree how a teenager
should be raised, but as a family they have a special bond. In Murder by
Moose, Nell tries to protect her family from a killer on the loose while
she teaches a self-defense class at a dude ranch in the mountains. But when the
going gets tough, the family always comes together to help Nell solve the
mystery.  

In Biscuits and
Slashed Browns—as in the series as a whole—Edith Maxwell (writing as Maddie
Day) expands this family theme to community. How do friends and family
rally ’round when someone is at risk or wrongly accused? How does a country
store breakfast-and-lunch restaurant serve as a focal point for the community,
a gathering place? In this particular book, the father of one of her
protagonist’s employees is accused of murder. This motivates Robbie Jordan and
others in the small town of South Lick, Indiana to work together to find out
who is the killer.

As with all murder mysteries, Leslie Karst’s Sally Solari culinary series
concerns issues of truth and justice. Equally important, however, are themes of
family and the food movement, and how the two create a conflict between
Sally and her father. The Solaris are descended from one of the original
Italian fishermen who arrived in Santa Cruz in the 1890s, and Sally’s dad is
fiercely proud of the family’s traditional Italian seafood restaurant on the
historic wharf.  When Sally inherits her
aunt’s trendy restaurant, Gauguin, her father—hurt
that Sally no longer wants to work at Solari’s—becomes convinced she now looks
down on her family heritage.

Becky
Clark takes a different tack in her new series, the Mystery
Writer’s Mysteries series. Officially, all the books are set in the world of a
mystery author, so with Fiction Can Be
Murder, she pulls back that curtain for her readers. Unofficially, her
books always have the same underlying current, that of the reluctant hero. It
seems she likes to explore characters who are going about their boring, normal
lives when — BLAMMO — something bizarre happens to them. They’re way out of
their comfort zone and flounder for a while before forcing themselves to pull
up their big-girl undies and fix whatever the problem is.

Returning to our recurring family theme, a few things
always show up in Shawn McGuire’s work.
First, relationships – whether between family members, romance, best friends,
parent and child, co-workers, etc. – are a prime element to the story. Second,
there’s always humor of some kind because even in the most intense situations,
humor helps. Third, an element of truth or finding your path in life often
shows up. Then with each book, a theme unique to that story or series will
appear. With her Whispering Pines series, while she hadn’t originally planned
it, religion turned out to be a strong theme.

In the first two books in the Cole & Callahan PI
series, Pat Hale says religion plays
an underlying role. In The Church of
the Holy Child, (September 2017) the serial killer torments a priest
with information on the murders, knowing he’s bound by his holy orders not to
reveal what’s heard in the confessional. In Durable Goods, (April 15, 2018) young girls are drawn into a
sex trade organization under the guise of coming to a religious refuge for
indigent women. The sub-theme of both books considers the confines and
constructs found within religious doctrine and their use for good and
evil. 

Thanks so much to The Stiletto Gang and all their
readers for joining our tour. We’re happy to address any comments or questions.
And feel free to contact any of us through our websites. Our next stop
will be January 25th with MJB Reviewers. See you there!
http://www.cperkinswrites.com
http://www.rebeccawriter.blogspot.com
To
celebrate our new releases, the Seven Sinister Sisters are having a giveaway!
Seven
lucky winners will receive an ebook from one of us.
One
GRAND PRIZE winner will receive a signed copy from each of us!
Enter to win by leaving a comment below. Our tour runs from January 6th to
April 30th and we’re answering a different question at each blog.
Leave a comment at each blog for more entries! We’ll draw the winner from all
the combined comments at the end of our tour.

Watch
our Facebook page for the next stop on the tour.