We had another fun and productive chapter meeting this past Saturday and welcomed visitor Leanne Edelen.
We started out by critiquing Jeanette Pope’s new work. While we had suggestions for ways to make it even stronger, everyone agreed that Jeanette’s story was gripping, and her characterizations were especially strong! We can’t wait to read her next submission. At our May meeting, we’ll critique work by Miki Reilly-Howe and Elaine Munsch.
At our business meeting, we discussed the exciting news that Susan Bell and Elaine Munsch met with Sara Volpi Woods (Director of the Kentucky Book Festival, Kentucky Humanities), and she verbally indicated that they would be invited to the November 5-6 festival to represent the anthology they co-edited, Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon. Although the anthology is not an official chapter publication, its editors and many of its contributors have been affiliated with our chapter. This will be a good opportunity not only to market the anthology, but to network with others in Kentucky’s writing community and spread the word about Derby Rotten Scoundrels. There is a possibility that Susan and Elaine would also participate in a panel at the festival, perhaps with other writers, to talk about getting published for the first time.
Meantime, Jeanette Pope and Susan Bell have been working on the final polishing of our murder mystery play, Iced at the Easy, based on a story idea by Jeanette. Along with mover and shaker Elaine Munsch, they’ll be contacting the Frazier to set up a meeting to discuss the possibility of producing the play at the museum’s speakeasy exhibit.
In other news, V-P Carol Preflatish has been working hard organizing the logistics of our chapter retreat at General Butler State Park. The retreat is open to all members of both Sisters in Crime and our chapter. It will take place from 9 AM-5 PM on Saturday, June 5. We voted to have the chapter pay for our room reservation, coffee, and lunch. Some chapter members plan to spend the night there as well.
In other welcome news, I learned this past week that we’ll be receiving $400 from the national organization to help us with activities for our chapter. Treasurer Debi Huff has already submitted the paperwork to receive the funds.
Following our business meeting, I talked about “Writing Realistic Young Adult Fiction,” a topic obviously near and dear to my heart.
I also wanted to share exciting publishing news from our members:
Our immediate past president, Beth Henderson, has a new novel out! Released on April 5, UNTIL… , a historical romantic mystery, is Beth’s eighth historical work and her 32nd novel! How’s that for amazing productivity? Beth reports that UNTIL… features a heroine in jail for most of the book, while the hero tries to solve the murder she’s accused of committing. In the process, he stumbles upon more murders in the small gold mining camp in Idaho Territory.
The reviews have been super. Here’s an excerpt from N.N. Light’s review:
Until… is a character-driven story with descriptive narration peppered with taut emotional tension. Beth Henderson is masterful in her writing, drawing the reader in. Once I started, I couldn’t stop reading…The plot is equal parts historical mystery and historical western romance/ Highly recommend!
Buy Links
Until . . purchase at Barnes and Noble
Also coming out next month is Jeanette Pope’s Desperate Angles, a sequel to her first novel Double Triangles. Danielle and her husband, Lieutenant Kevin Williams, have rekindled their passionate but sometimes turbulent relationship and are now husband and wife. But ghosts dead and alive threaten to wipe out their entire family. Kevin and Danny are in danger way over their heads, but can they survive long enough to save their baby?
Jeanette also has a new website she’d love you to check out: https://jeanettecpope.com/
New chapter member Gloria Casale reports that she is in the final edits of her next book, a mystery thriller called Counting Down. For the past few class reunions, held every five years in late November, a woman goes missing from a group of friends who lived in the same neighborhood as children. At the 40-year class reunion, another classmate learns of the mysterious disappearances and is determined to solve the mystery.
And finally, my website has a new look in honor of the forthcoming June 22nd publication of my third YA novel, Leisha’s Song. I’d love for you to take a look:
Our next meeting will take placed online on May 8th. Our speaker will be our very own Lynda Rees who will talk to us about writing romance and suspense.
And that’s my news for now!