October 21st Meeting
Special Events
Mavens @ Open Door: Dec 4
Susan Sundwall & Donna Lagone: March 7 at 4pm
Join us at Kinderhook Library Saturday March 7th at 4pm to listen to Mavens Susan Sundwall and Donna Lagone read from their work. Directions:
From the south
Take Route 9 north to the center of Kinderhook Village. Just before the main intersection, bear right at the village green onto Hudson Street (County Route 21). The library is on the right at the corner of Hudson and Sylvester Streets.
Alternatively, take Route 9H north. At the Elks Lodge, exit 9H to County Route 21. Take a right onto County Route 21 which becomes Hudson Street as you cross the bridge over Kinderhook Creek and enter the village. The library is on the left at the corner of Hudson and Syvester Streets.
From the north
Take Route 9 south the the center of Kinderhook Village. Turn left at the main intersection onto Hudson Street (County Route 21). The library is on the right at the corner of Hudson and Sylvester Streets.
Alternatively, take Route 9H south and exit at the County Route 21 exit. Take a right onto County Route 21 which becomes Hudson Street as you enter the village. The library is on the left at the corner of Hudson and Sylvester Streets.
February 21st Meeting & Upcoming Events
February 21: “S is for SEO: The Mystery of the Unfound Website.” Roger Lipera (Lipera Web Design & Consulting) will discuss how to make sure your Web site can be found on the Web and how social media can play a part in that. Mavens chapter meeting program, 10:30 am, Bethlehem Public Library.
February 28: “Homicidal Humor-Cozy Mysteries.” Maven Susan Sundwall, Schenectady Public Library, 10 am.
And looking ahead —
March 1: The Hudson Valley Writers Guild will sponsor a reading by three local authors on Sunday, March 1, at the Albany Public Library Washington Avenue Branch, 161 Washington Ave., from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The authors who will read from their recent work are Elizabeth Gordon, (Maven) K.A. Laity and Keith Willis. The reading is part of a continuing series titled “Community of Writers.” The reading is free and open to the public.
March 21: “Every Crime Deserves Context.” UAlbany criminal justice professor and mystery writer Frankie Y. Bailey offers a brief overview of the evolution of American crime and justice.
Crime Bake 2014 by Carol Pouliot
by Carol Pouliot
In November, Mavens members Angie Hogencamp, Joel Gomez-Dossi, and Carol Pouliot attended the New England Crime Bake, sponsored by MWA and SinC New England. Guest of honor Craig Johnson, author of the highly successful Longmire series, inspired a western theme. The informative and entertaining author spoke several times during the weekend, each time rocking the house – easy to see why this mystery writer is in high demand at conferences.
As well as pitching and writing workshops, there was an “Agents and Editors Panel” during which writers could anonymously submit the first page of their manuscript or query letter to be critiqued in front of an audience. Crime Bake is known to be the conference for beginning writers. It is a comfortable place to network with agents and editors, and to get valuable insight into the business. A barbecue, cowboy poetry contest, and line-dancing rounded up a memorable experience.
Special guest for Crime Bake 2015 is British author Elizabeth George.
Massachusetts State Police organized a mock crime scene for attendees to analyze. On Sunday morning, they explained what each piece of evidence and clue signified.
17 January 2015 Meeting
Coming up at our January meeting (3rd Saturday, Bethlehem Library, 10:30 am):
Author Promotion: Ten Tips & The One Folder You Need On Your Desktop
Don’t be fooled, there isn’t a secret formula to becoming “a bestselling author”. There are principles that make the process easier, however. Discover the marketing and promotion guideposts that have helped make Bold Strokes Books the world’s largest and most successful publisher of LGBT genre fiction.
Presenter Joel Gomez-Dossi came to journalism by way of theater, television, and digital media production. He was a stage manager for several theaters in the Mid and Southwest; a producer for television projects; and a production manager for the Emmy Award-winning PBS science series, Newton’s Apple. He has written about film and theater for many regional publications across the country, and penned an entertainment column for the queer press that ran in twelve states. His third novel, Lethal Elements, published by Bold Strokes Books, will be available this August.
Don’t forget! Upcoming events:
Mavens will be appearing at the Nassau Library, Monday 26 Jan at 6pm: confirmed so far Frankie Y. Bailey and K. A. Laity
The big event: Panel Discussion & Book Signing at East Greenbush Library on Saturday 31 Jan at noon. Join our Facebook event to get the latest information! Download & print the flyer here.
Murder Mystery Dinner
The Rensselaerville Library’s Festival of Writers
&
Bird-On-A-Cliff (Theatre Company from Woodstock)
Present
“Lord Mansfield’s Fox Hunt Banquet”
You have been invited to Lord Mansfield’s Fox Hunt Banquet, which will take place at Mansfield Mansion (aka Conkling Hall). Jeffries, the butler and the epitome of solicitousness and decorum, will greet you and usher you to your table while the saucy maid Elga will see to your every need.
You will be joined by and mingle with Lord Mansfield’s special guests in this evening of comedy, thievery, and debauchery. Even magic might occur as one of the guests meets an Inevitable Fate!! You will be kept on the edge of your seat as you try to Solve an exciting Who-dunnit.
Watch for Clues. Interrogate the Suspects!! The action will be fast and the laughter contagious.
This mystery dinner includes: audience participation, food and Prizes for successful Sleuths – you might be chosen for a cameo role!
Show time: 6:30 pm, Saturday, October 25th, at Conkling Hall. Running time 2 ½ to 3 hours. Seating is limited and advance purchase is required.
Prices: general admission $40; or $450 for a table of 10; tickets include hors d’oeuvres, salad, dinner and dessert; 1 glass of wine or beer and non-alcoholic beverages; cash bar. (Food by Jake Moon)
For more information and tickets:
http://www.rensselaervillelibrary.org or (518)797-3949
Maven Jenny Milchman to Appear at Lake Placid
Maven Jenny Milchman will at The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid. Milchman to sign copies of her newest novel, Ruin Falls, on Sunday, August 31st from 3 to 5 PM. For more information, please call 518-523-2950 or click here.
Applauding our Founding Fans!
Maven: an ardent enthusiast
Mayhem: a needless or willful damage or violence
Mavens of Mayhem: The Upper Hudson branch of Sisters In Crime, experienced in the willful celebration of all things Mysteries.
We’re honoring our founding Fans (Angie, Jeanette, and Luanne) with a potluck picnic at the Saturday, July 19 meeting of The Mavens of Mayhem at the Bethlehem Public Library (451 Delaware Ave., Delmar, NY). The meeting starts at 10:30am. The picnic and celebration commences at 11:00am.
It’s Summer, and Time to Press the Flesh
I remember the lazy summers of my youth. Road trips with my family. Playing Freeze Tag. Barbeques and just having fun. Those days are gone. As a writer, my summers have become a time to meet and connect with my readers and fans.
Last weekend, I had the joy of attending the Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans. For four days each spring, the festival features panel discussions and master classes for authors, editors and publishers of LGBT literature. I was lucky enough to participate on the panel: RETURN ENGAGEMENT: THE ART OF THE SEQUEL, which delved into the art of writing a series.
On a special side note, I’d like to mention that my editor and fellow Sister-in-Crime member Greg Herren was inducted into this year’s Saints and Sinners Hall of Fame.
But the summer fun doesn’t end there. On June 21 and 22 I’ll be shaking hands at the Denver Pride Festival. My publisher, Bold Strokes Books, is sponsoring a booth with lots of swag. Pride officials are estimating over 350,000 people will be attending, so I’m sure my arm will get tired!
And on Saturday, July 12 from 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm, I’ll be at Thriller Fest, participating on the panel “HOW DO YOU CREATE VISUAL NOVELS? Secrets Borrowed From Film” with Panel Master Lorenzo Carcaterra. I’ll also be signing books that afternoon from 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm.
I’m sure more activities will pop up throughout the summer, especially with such an active Sisters-In-Crime membership! Be sure to log into our page frequently for the latest information!
YJoel is currently working on his third novel for Bold Strokes Books. His first two novels, also published by Bold Strokes Books, are Pursued and Deadly Cult. You can visit Joel on the web, or on Facebook.