Author: susancbell

Posted on

Lynn Slaughter – Writing the Romantic Mystery – February 10

Lynn SlaughterJoin us on February 10th to learn about adding romance to your mystery from DRS member Lynn Slaughter.

In this workshop, we’ll talk about the differences between romantic mysteries and romantic suspense, and the ways in which injecting romance into our mysteries can up the emotional stakes and enhance reader engagement. We’ll look at examples of romantic mysteries with various scenarios and some things to keep in mind when integrating romance into our mysteries. Time-permitting, we’ll also do some brainstorming to generate ideas for a romantic mystery.

Lynn Slaughter is addicted to the arts, chocolate, and her husband’s cooking. After a long career as a professional dancer and dance educator, she felt so sad about not being able to dance anymore that she wrote her first novel, WHILE I DANCED, as a therapy project. That got her hooked on writing fiction. So, despite being older than dirt, she returned to school and earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Her first mystery for adults, MISSED CUE, came out from Melange Books in August.

In addition to WHILE I DANCED, she is also the author of three other award-winning young adult romantic mysteries: DEADLY SETUP, LEISHA’S SONG, and IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU. The ridiculously proud mother of two grown sons and besotted grandmother of five, Lynn lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she’s at work on her next novel, sings original music with her guitar-playing husband, and plays with her newly adopted cat, Lacy Lou Lommasson.

When: Saturday, February 10, 2024

Time: DRS Meeting from 11am to noon. Lynn Slaughter speaks from noon to 1pm

Where: Zoom ONLY

Please use the following link to register FOR zOOM Meeting: 

ZOOM LINK

Posted on

Lynda Rees on The Business of Publishing – March 9

Join us on March 9th to learn about the business side of mystery writing from DRS member, Lynda Rees.

If you are nearing completion of a manuscript you want to publish, you might wonder what happens next. What options are available for publication? What is the right decision for you?

As an author, regardless of which route you take to publish your work, you are the CEO of your own business. You own your brand.

Taking charge of your business isn’t complex, but it is time-consuming. There is a learning curve to getting your book published, managing your brand and your company, and being taken seriously by the industry (and staying out of trouble with the IRS). Lynda will discuss the business side of writing and share what she’s learned along with insightful tips to help you manage the process.

Lynda Rees, the Murder Guru, is a multi-award-winning author of several genres. The free-spirited world-traveler’s diverse background and previous corporate experience as a Marketing and Global Logistics Manager at Procter & Gamble brings varied expertise and rare perspective to her writing. An Appalachian-born coal miner’s daughter, Lynda is also part Cherokee. Her love affair with books, mystery, and American history stem from being immersed in the Mob’s reign when Northern Kentucky prospered as a mecca for gambling and sin.

Lynda brings you the best in mystery and suspense with a dash of romance and a smidgen of history. She is published in mystery/suspense, contemporary and historical romance, middle grade mystery, children’s books, and nonfiction.

When: Saturday, March 9, 2024

Time: DRS Meeting from 11am to noon. Lynda Rees speaks from noon to 1pm

Where: Zoom ONLY

Please use the following link to register for Zoom Meeting: 

ZOOM LINK

Posted on

Member News – February 2024

Carol Preflatish

Carol Preflatish has signed a contract with Seventh Star Press for Murder in Mystic Hollow, her fourth Nathan Perry Mystery.

No release date has been set, but the publisher is hoping for an early Spring release.

 

 

 

 

Lynn Slaughter

Lynn SlaughterLynn Slaughter will be interviewed on “Briggs on Books” on February 21 at 2 PM.

You can watch the live interview at:

Web Channel: Central Valley Talk

Youtube Channel: YouTube.com/CentralValleyTalk

Facebook Channel: Facebook.com/CentralValleyTalk.tv

Lynn will participate in an author panel and book signing as part of the City of Florence, KY Book and Literacy Festival on Saturday, February 24:

https://florence-ky.gov/featured-authors/

Lynn’s book, Deadly Setup received a Maincrest Media Book Award in the young adult fiction category: https://winners.maincrestmedia.com/

Lynn will be the guest speaker at our next DRS chapter meeting on February 1oth,  talking about Writing the Romantic Mystery. More details will be posted on this event later in the month.

 

 

E.M. Munsch and Lynn Slaughter

Authors E.M. Munsch and Lynn Slaughter will be signing their newest books on:

When:

Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.

Where:

Barnes & Noble, 801 S. Hurstbourne Parkway in Louisville, KY.

Munsch will sign the latest in the Dash Hammond series, Old Sins.
Slaughter will sign her first adult mystery, Missed Cues.
Posted on

Member News – January 2024

Jeanette C. Pope at Grace M. James Academy of Excellence – Entrepreneur Fair

Jeanette C. Pope was honored to get invited to the Grace M. James Academy of Excellence – Entrepreneur Fair, on December 13, 2023. Grace M. James Academy of Excellence is part of the Jefferson County Public School system.

While networking, Jeanette was thrilled to share her books, Double Triangles, and Desperate Angles with other business participants.

Author Jeanette intrigued students with the covers of her books and the fact that both books are set in Louisville, Kentucky.

Jeanette seized this opportunity to discuss with the teens (middle-school girls) the purpose and plot of her soon-to-be-published book, Authentica. The central idea of the novel is ways to respond to bullying in a high school situation.

The girls expressed great interest in reading such a book and urged her to have it ready for GMJ Entrepreneur Fair, in 2024!

The sixth-ninth graders gave Jeanette many useful insights and suggestions, so now she has enough information to write a sequel to Authentica.

 

 

Posted on

Location, Location, Location

We all know location can make or break a business, but how important is location for your novel?

Join us on January 13 when DRS members Carol Preflatish and Elaine Munsch discuss writing about location. Learn how they chose both real and imagined settings for their novels, and how location can make a story more or less challenging to write. You’ll also discover when setting has enough power to become a character in the story.

author image - Carol Preflatish
Carol Preflatish

Carol Preflatish is from southern Indiana and has been writing for over twenty years. She is the author of the Nathan Perry Mystery Series, as well as several romantic suspense novels. Carol is also a multi-award-winning screenwriter. Her adaptation of her book, Homecoming to Murder, won the runner-up award for Best Screenplay – Long Format at Imaginarium 2023 and Best Feature Script at the ICE CineFest 2023.

 

 

Elaine Munsch

Elaine Munsch, writing as E.M. Munsch, is the author of seven Dash Hammond novels. The latest, Old Sins, was published at the end of 2023. She is a life-long bookseller and lover of mysteries. She’s been a member of Sisters in Crime forever (or at least the last thirty years).

 

When: Saturday, January 13, 2024

Time: Noon-2pm (PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME FOR JANUARY ONLY)

Where: 

Middletown Library 

12556 Shelbyville Road

Louisville, KY 40243

  • This meeting will also be zoomed – but not recorded. Please use the following link to register. 

Zoom Registration Link

NOTE:  From Noon until about 12:45pm, we will have a brief business meeting followed by a group critique session of short manuscripts submitted by group members. Carol and Elaine will give their presentation beginning at 1:00PM.