I hope you’ll join me and the Sisters in Crime–Central Virginia to celebrate the publication of Virginia is for Mysteries: Volume II on February 27, 2:00-3:30 p.m. We’ll begin with an author panel, “Paths to Getting Published–Mystery Authors Tell Their Tales.” A book signing and celebration will follow.
Click here to learn more about Virginia is for Mysteries or check out our blog.
Pre-order Virginia is for Mysteries: Volume II.
Or join us on February 27th!
Learn more about Virginia is for Mysteries, Volume II here.
It is your chance to be the detective in the latest mystery!
Examine the crime scene, follow the clues and solve the mystery! You’re the detective in this interactive mystery night, with a script written by Sisters in Crime.
Mystery writers from the Sisters in Crime will take you behind-the-scenes with an author talk, book sale and signing.
Check out what is in the silent auction. Tickets and silent auction will benefit the Friends of the Chesterfield County Public Library.
Tickets are $25 ($40 per couple) and include two drinks and heavy hors-d’oeuvres. You can purchase tickets here.
You may recall that in one of my previous blogs, I mentioned talking with writers about writing as one of the best things about a writing workshop at Nimrod. Although not as interactive, there are lots of ways to get inside writers’ heads.
A writing friend sent me this link to a New York Times opinion piece by Stephen King on the question of whether a novelist can be too productive.
His short answer is that how much you write (publish) isn’t a reflection of how well you write. But there are many paragraphs of well-crafted opinion that are well worth reading. Of course, you already know that Stephen King wrote one of my favorite books on writing.
On Saturday, August 29, NPR’s Scott Simon interviewed Ursula Le Guin on Weekend Edition. Among other things, she talked about the effect of aging on her writing. She is 85. It’s well worth a listen.
If you are a magazine person, there are many places to get insights about and from writers. Two of the most popular are Poets & Writers and Writer’s Digest.
If you are more of a book person, especially if you are focused on mystery writing, you might consider Talking About Detective Fiction by P.D. James. (You can also read “Mystery Writing” Lessons on her website.) Or these.
There are many books by writers about writing, both classic and modern.
One of my favorite bits is one of Elmore Leonard‘s rules: Leave out the parts the reader is going to skip anyway. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Books for Writers: Deborah Tannen
Dictionary of American Regional English
Writing Life: Exercise Improves Creativity
The Principle of Least Interest
Why Women Have Sex: Character Motivation Matters
Rational and Irrational Behavior in Your Characters: Guest Post on Thrill Writers
I had to leave home at 8:30 a.m. and didn’t get home till nearly 10:00 p.m. But it was definitely worth the time! The commute was a reconnect with Heather Weidner and Maggie King. Lots of conversation about everything from work life to pets.
The Center for Cultural Arts is attractive—white columns, brick walkway, garden sculptures. On the way in and out, I was too encumbered to take pictures. Oh, sigh. Opportunity lost.
Our table location—just inside the door, first on the right—was a blessing and a curse. The blessing was that everyone entering passed our table first, all adhering to the U.S custom of keeping to the right. The curse was that we were backed by a bank of windows, and all my photos there are dark and sinister looking. Heather got better pictures.
But I did get seeable pictures of Mary Miley, Fiona Quinn, and Maggie King. Mary Miley, former president of the Central Virginia Chapter of Sisters in Crime, is the author of the Roaring Twenties mystery series. Two are published (The Impersonator, winner of the Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel award, and its sequel, Silent Murders.) Two more in the series are forthcoming.
Maggie King is author of Murder in the Book Group. Fiona Quinn is the author of the Lynx series: Weakest Lynx, Missing Lynx, Chain Lynx, and co-author with John Dolan of Chaos is Come Again.
Our panel presentation on getting published was scheduled for 5:00—the last hour of the festival—and I was a bit skeptical. But the room was packed! We talked about everything from traditional to DIY, short stories to novels, pen names to web presence. The attendees were engaged, asked lots of questions, no one left, and when the 6:00 end time arrived, the security guard had to clear the room because he was closing the building. What a high!
Advice for book signings: Be Prepared. Never go to a book signing with only one pen!
Saturday, August 1: Virginia is for Mysteries authors will present at the 2015 Virginia Writers Club (VWC) Writers Symposium — Navigating Your Writing Life: Balancing Craft and Business at the Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, VA.
Saturday, August 22: Several SinC-CVa chapter members will appear at the Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival (facebook.com/
Thursday through Sunday October 8-11 (with Wednesday 10/7 SinC into Great Writing workshop, for extra fee): The mystery conference Bouchercon is in Raleigh this year.
Friday, October 30: SinC-CVa and the Virginia is for Mysteries authors will assist the Chesterfield County Library System with their Friends of the Library fundraiser “Murder at the Library.” More details to come.
Saturday, October 31: The SinC-CVa “Lethal Ladies” authors are planning a book signing at Chop Suey Books in Carytown. More details to come.
Happy writing!