Join us as we celebrate Mavens authors whose books are set during the winter holidays. Our authors will discuss how and why they craft works that balance the themes of comfort and joy with those of mystery and mayhem. Attendees will be entered into a raffle of the authors’ signed holiday books. NINA PIETRAFESA, Moderator. […]
The New Tool in Solving Cold Cases Michelle Clark will present on Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG), which in the last few years, has helped investigators solve hundreds of cold cases nationwide. If you recall the “Golden Gate Serial Killer,” then you’ve already heard about this groundbreaking forensic tool. FIGG compares crime scene DNA profiles with […]
Have you ever wondered what’s involved in self-publishing your work? Have you ever considered doing it yourself? Three Upper Hudson SinC members who took the plunge will share their experiences in the “wild” world of self-publishing. Upper Hudson SinC members Syrl Kazlo, Jacqueline Boulden, and Nina Pietrafesa will discuss why they decided to make the […]
Do you love Save the Cat, the Hero’s Journey, or the Story Circle? Get ready for a story structure specifically tailored to mysteries! We’ll talk about how to craft the high and low points that pull your reader along through your story. We’ll discuss how to take all your clues, suspects, and twists, and organize […]
How Four Historical Mystery Writers Bring the Past to Life The New York Times has called this a Golden Age of historical fiction, and we agree! Hear four acclaimed historical mystery writers in conversation about their craft and how they bring the past to life, from ancient Crete to 18th century London and Paris, and […]
Women in the Sherlock Holmes Stories with Jeff Bradway The Sherlock Holmes stories are “adventures,” and adventures need heroes, comrades, villains, and, oftentimes, someone in need of rescue. Given the Victorian background of the tales, it is not surprising that the world of Sherlock Holmes stories is largely a man’s world. That said, there are many […]
Bestselling and award-winning mystery author Ellen Byron shares more than twenty easy-to-apply tips on how to mine the funny in a manuscript, culled from her years of experience writing popular TV comedies like Wings, Just Shoot Me and Fairly OddParents. Ellen Byron is a USA Today bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country […]
Her World and Her Influence on Crime Fiction In this program, Frankie Y. Bailey draws on a presentation that she made at the 2022 International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, England. Frankie will discuss the contribution of Christie to Golden Age crime fiction and the tropes that came out of this era. She will discuss Christie's influence […]
Author Mally Becker will share “lessons learned” to help you build their characters’ fictional world. Whether you write cozies, Neo-noir mysteries, or anything in between, you’ll need to get the facts right to maintain your story’s illusion of reality. How can you balance research with strong storytelling? Where do you find sources to pull a reader […]
Carolyn Wells wrote 82 detective novels in the early twentieth century, including the classic bibliomystery, Murder in the Bookshop. She also wrote in other genres—children’s, young adult, poetry, humor—totaling 180+ books over her career. Some were adapted into silent films, and some became bestsellers. Yet she faded into obscurity after her death in 1942. An enigmatic bookplate found in an old book that […]
When it comes to writing Christmas-themed mysteries, best-selling and award-winning author Donna Andrews is a champ. She’s also a genius at funny and punny titles, from Six Geese A-Slaying to How the Finch Stole Christmas to Rockin’ Around the Chickadee (and many more.) Humor is a trademark of her Meg Langslow series, and her holiday mysteries include quirky family relationships along with […]
This workshop with Miranda James (Dean James) will focus on the writing of traditional, aka cozy, mysteries. Creating characters, the importance of setting, using hooks to snare reader interest, and learning from the giants in the genre, such as Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Rex Stout, Elizabeth Daly, and Elizabeth (E.X.) Ferrars. Miranda James is the pseudonym of […]
