What a busy and productive month this has been for our chapter! On June 5, eight of us gathered for an all-day retreat at General Butler State Park, beautifully organized by our V-P, Carol Preflatish.

We did lots of bonding and rewrote our mission statement, identified five over-arching goals and discussed a variety of action steps. I’ll be giving you regular updates as we begin to implement changes and new initiatives that grow out of our goals, which are to actively pursue:

– Community Service and Community Outreach
– Assist in the professional development of our members
– Grow our membership
– Recognize the volunteer contributions of our members to the chapter
– Restructure the board to better address our chapter needs

Chapter Meeting

The following week, we had our chapter meeting. Elaine Munsch and Jeanette Pope shared strong submissions for the critique portion of our meeting. Clues are piling up that Dash’s aunt did not die of natural causes in Elaine’s latest Dash Hammond novel. And in Jeanette’s work, private investigator Slicks is doing his best to protect his endangered client Elise, and his attraction to her is definitely beginning to sizzle!

At our business meeting, we discussed ideas which came out of the retreat:

– the possibility of having a separate critique group that would meet online twice monthly so writers could get their work reviewed more frequently.
– Alternating speakers with professional development sessions. Susan Bell suggested we read a section/chapter of a craft book on a given topic, such as characterization, and then the following month read a novel and dissect it for that topic.
– Alternating on-line meetings with face-to-face meetings. (We’ve since learned that we can resume our face-to-face meetings at Barnes and Noble on Hurstbourne Lane beginning in August!)
– Creating a Speakers’ Bureau to make library visits (possibly combined with book sales and signings)
– Restructuring our board to include a publicist and the need to invite others to step up to board positions, especially with Susan Bell stepping down next year. Susan has been doing three jobs: serving as secretary, webmaster, and playwriting coordinator. We are so grateful for all she’s done for us and certainly understand her desire to spend a little more time writing!

We voted to purchase a $50 sponsorship of this year’s Imaginarium.
As we are in need of updated chapter bookmarks, Miki Reilly-Howe has generously volunteered to redesign them.

With Elaine Munsch, Susan Bell, and Jeanette Pope meeting with staff from the Frazier History Museum regarding our play, Iced at the Easy, on June 23, we have all fingers and toes crossed that the Frazier may be interested in producing the play as one of their venue attractions.

June Speaker(s)

Following our business meeting, we had a delightful visit from a panel representing the Speed City Indiana chapter of Sisters in Crime. They have a whopping 47 members and shared their experiences producing anthologies as well as a play. On July 24, Elaine Munsch, Jeanette Pope, and Lynn Slaughter will zoom with their chapter to talk about our retreat experience and efforts to reinvigorate our chapter.

Meantime, board member Lynda Rees has been working hard on several fronts: collecting information on upcoming book conferences and festivals, possible venues for our play, and a listing of members’ skills. Speaking of upcoming events, here are a few:

– July 9-11 Imaginarium Convention Louisville, KY
https://www.entertheimaginarium.com/

-July 8-11 In Your Write Mind Writer’s Conference (online)
https://inyourwritemind.setonhill.edu/

– June 28-July 10- Thrillerfest and Thriller Awards (online)
https://thrillerfest.com/

– July 14-17, 2021 More than Malice and Agatha Awards (online)
https://www.malicedomestic.org/

– August 19-22 Killer Nashville Nashville, TN
https://killernashville.com/

– August 28 Legendary Book Bash, Lexington, KY (book sale and signing opportunity)
Contact Michelle Areaux at: michelle@kingstonpublishing.com

– October 2 (tentative) Kentucky Book Fair at Fleming County Public Library, Flemingsburg, KY
Contact Stephanie Morgan at smorgan@fleminglibrary.org

– October 22-24 Prime Crime, formerly Magna cum Murder, Indianapolis, IN
https://ccprimecrime.com/

– November 6 Kentucky Book Festival Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lexington KY
https://kybookfestival.org/

Member News

Last, but certainly not least, we have several chapter members who have news to share:

Beth Henderson is offering a workshop July 5th-August 1st on Mixing Murder and Magic: Writing the Urban Fantasy P.I. to Life!

Savvy Authors – Mixing Murder and Magic, Writing the Urban Fantasy PI to Life

 

 

 

 

Carol Preflatish’s book, Homecoming to Murder, placed third in the Best Mystery category of the Critters Reader’s Poll. On July 9-11, Carol will be signing Homecoming to Murder and The Coin Collector from her Nathan Perry Mystery series, as well as one of her romances, Her Bluegrass Beau, at the Imaginarium Convention in Louisville.

 

 

 

 

Lynda Rees’s Operation Second Chance is a finalist in Imaginarium 2021. Lynda writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense set in rural Kentucky. She recently released her eleventh-thirteenth audiobooks:.
Parsley, Sage, Rose, Mary & Wine, Bk. 1 The Bloodline Series, released 3/1/21 in audiobook. Listen to it at:

https://adbl.co/2CKl9eV and available in all formats at http://amzn.to/2ytEuth

Widowed Lemon Sage Benton wants a fresh start after her brutal past. When a mutual friend is murdered, Sage clashes with Sheriff Wyatt Gordon, but the heat between is so fierce it can’t be ignored. Wyatt wants Sage, though her independent, impulsive nature wrecks havoc with his life. The killer wants Sage also.

For the free ebook prologue of The Bloodline Series, and to become a VIP, you can get Leah’s Story at: https://preview.mailerlite.com/t1a6j6

Deputy Leah Patton is a fan favorite in Parsley, Sage, Rose, Mary & Wine. Lynda wrote Leah’s story to fulfil requests for more about Leah.

Lynda’s contemporary romance, 2nd Chance Ranch was released in December in audiobook. It can be found at:

http://adbl.co/3aJYPkj 2nd Chance Ranch is also available in all formats at: https://amzn.to/2WQg1wW

Wounded Warrior, Captain Chance Gordon’s future depends on the woman he loves and deserted.

In April, 2021, Lynda released her romantic suspense novel, Operation Second Chance, in audiobook. It’s available on Audible at:

https://adbl.co/3bYBZFQ and in all formats at: https://amzn.to/2WKeqbH

Scrawny Dex leaves broken hearted and returns to Sweetwater as a Navy Seal. Motorcycling, horseback-riding, widowed Zoe, had been a fellow misfit but sent him away for his own good. Time and distance hasn’t broken their bond. Reconciliation puts Zoe in a killer’s cross hairs.

Lynn Slaughter’s Leisha’s Song, a YA contemporary romantic mystery, will officially be published by Fire and Ice on June 22nd and is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
On scholarship at a prestigious New England boarding school, Leisha never intended to fall in love with classical singing or get involved with Cody Harrington—let alone risk her life trying to find her missing teacher.

In connection with the release, Lynn has enjoyed being a guest author at meetings of Kentuckiana Romance Writers, Women Who Write, and Bard’s Corner Writer’s Group.

 

 

Pamela Turner’s fairy tale fantasy, The Judas Dilemma, is now available from MuseItUp Publishing, available at

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0933NLKHS/

When Victoria Gregory is attacked by the angel Kushiel, she’s rescued by Judas Iscariot who tells her that Kushiel wants the ancient silver coin she recently received for her birthday. The coin controls his dragon demon, a curse Kushiel cast on Judas as punishment for betraying Jesus. In fact, Kushiel wants all thirty coins which together will unleash the Celestial Dragon and enable Kushiel to annihilate humanity and get rid of Judas. But to do that, he must convince one of Judas’s friends to betray him. Tricked into giving Kushiel her coin, Victoria travels to Hell with the very person who double-crossed her and Judas. Can she trust her new partner to help her rescue Judas? Or will she be trapped in Hell forever?

 

In closing, I hope to see many of you at our next online meeting on July 10. Our guest speakers will be Gwen Mayo and Sarah Glenn, publishers of the anthology, Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon, edited by Susan Bell and Elaine Munsch and available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, and Target.