Jan. 8th: Public Defender To Share Challenges

On Wednesday, January 8, we’re delighted to announce that Public Defender R. Daniel (Danny) Day, Oconee County, 10th Circuit, will speak to our Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime about the challenges of his job.

*** PLEASE NOTE. Since our normal meeting date of the first Thursday fell
on January 2^nd, we changed the meeting date for this month only
to accommodate people who may be traveling over the holidays.***

A graduate of The Citadel, Day attended law school at The University of South Carolina and the University of Maryland. He was admitted to practice in South Carolina in 1978. His professional affiliations include membership in the South Carolina and Oconee County Bar Associations, the Public Defender Association, and the SC Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Prior to becoming a Public Defender, Day was a municipal court judge in the City of Seneca, and tried cases in State and Federal courts during some 30 years of private practice.

A lover of literature, Day also is Chairman of the Oconee County Public Library Board and a member of the Friends of the Oconee County Library.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 8, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Public Defender Day and enjoy the chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Day’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

In order for the Runway Café to speed service, dinner orders must be emailed to Ellis Vidler by noon the day of the meeting. If you can't eat, we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure to have you a seat. To see the special menu for our group, click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  If you place an order and do not attend or fail to cancel by noon, you will be charged for the meal. And like always, we'll enjoy it.

Chapter Holiday Party, Sunday, Dec. 8!

Hope everyone can come to the annual holiday party for our Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Chapter members, their guests, and prospective members are welcome! Our chapter includes both authors (published and unpublished), and people who simply enjoy reading all types of crime fiction from cozy mysteries to thrillers.

The holiday party offers the chance to enjoy great food (covered dish), fun conversation, and to hear about the projects our authors are working on. The party will run from 2 to 5 p.m. at the East Shores Clubhouse in Seneca, SC. The Seneca contingent of the chapter will furnish nonalcoholic beverages, plates, napkins, utensils, ice, etc. So all you need to bring is a covered dish of your choice--or just yourself, if your stove's broken or you've sworn off cooking for the year. There's always plenty of food.

Post a comment if you need more information or directions. And we'll get back to you. Promise. Here are some pictures from last year's party.

Happy Holidays!

AUTHOR ROBIN WEAVER DISCUSSES GENRE-HOPPING & CONTESTS

AT NOVEMBER 7 MEETING OF SISTERS IN CRIME

On Thursday, November 7, multi-genre author Robin Weaver will present, "Genre-Hopping from Contests to Publication," to our Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime. An active member in several Romance Writers of America (RWA) chapters, Weaver has served as a contest coordinator and judge for the Kiss of Death chapter’s prestigious Daphne du Maurier awards and has judged entries in many other contests. She’ll talk about how contests can help authors and/or hurt them if they’re not seen as just another tool. She’ll also discuss genre-hopping and blending, including benefits and costs.

A professional computer geek, Weaver started writing extensively when she traded in her ski-boots for flip-flops and moved to the Charlotte, NC, area. She was a Golden Heart finalist and winner of the prestigious Daphne du Maurier contest. Her romantic suspense novel, Blue Ridge Fear—currently available from the Wild Rose Press—was the winner of the Write Touch contest and was a finalist in the Winter Rose Published Contest. Forbidden Magic, published under her pseudonym Genia Avers, was a 2013 Prism finalist. Her latest genre-hopping endeavor, The Secret Language of Leah Sinclair, a young adult suspense novel, will be available in late 2013. She has also co-authored a detective novel, Artifact of Death with FBI agent Robert Drdak.

She teaches workshops on point of view and pacing, and is a regular blogger with Romancing the Genres (www.RomancingtheGenres.blogspot.com). She loves Latin dancing, pistachios, Def Leppard, and the five o’clock shadow, not necessarily in that order.  Please visit her on Facebook, LinkedIn or via her website: http://www.authorrobinweaver.com .

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 7, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Robin Weaver and enjoy the chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Weaver’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

In order for the Runway Café to speed service, dinner orders must be emailed to Ellis Vidler by noon the day of the meeting. If you can't eat, we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure to have you a seat. To see the special menu for our group, click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  If you place an order and do not attend or fail to cancel by noon, you will be charged for the meal. And like always, we'll enjoy it.

Oct. 3--Dr. Butler To Present 'The Mind of a Killer'

On Thursday, October 3, our own Dr. Belise (Bebe) Butler will present, "The Mind of a Killer," to our Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Butler is an international motivational speaker, who has presented in twelve countries to audiences ranging from CEOs to housekeeping personnel. Dr. Butler is one of those rare speakers whose goal is NOT to impress you.

She holds three Ph.D.s from the University of Southern California. She’s also a puppeteer, who visits hospitals with her fuzzy friends—Dumplings, Jojo and Tasha, and she’s a co-founder of a bilingual newspaper in South Carolina. Dr. Butler has owned three successful businesses and was highlighted in the book, Great Speakers. She has provided leadership training for law enforcement and large corporations and served on the board of several non-profits, including the American Red Cross. She has been honored by civic clubs in several states for her “tell it like it is” presentations.

Dr. Butler has written non-fiction manuals and a relationship book that she hopes to find time to update and re-publish as it’s now out of print. Four years ago, Butler retired. It lasted three weeks before she became a partner in another company. She now has sold her interest in that company and is attempting retirement again. She hopes to continue her volunteer work, and pursue her dream of writing fiction. She has just published her first novel in the Aces Series, Murder in Cairo; Payback is a Bitch.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 3, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Bebe and enjoy the chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Butler’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

In order for the Runway Café to speed service, dinner orders must be emailed to Ellis Vidler by noon the day of the meeting. (If you're ordering a burger, please be sure to indicate cheese or no cheese.) If you can't eat, we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure to have you a seat. To see the special menu for our group, please click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  If you place an order and do not attend or fail to cancel by noon, you will be charged for the meal. And like always, we'll enjoy it.

AUTHOR DONNELL ANN BELL SHARES REALISM QUEST SECRETS

On Wednesday, September 4, the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime will welcome award-winning Colorado author Donnell Ann Bell as our guest speaker.

***NOTE: We have changed our normal meeting date from the 1st Thursday of the month to WEDNESDAY to match our out-of-town guest’s schedule.***

Donnell’s topic will be “The Value of Networking—Writers, Like Mohammed, Must Go to the Mountain.” The popular author will share a myriad of useful tips on how to add realism to novels and gain law enforcement expertise short of being sworn in as police officers. In her own quest for realism, Donnell has worked as a volunteer victim’s advocate, compiled a data base for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, participated in ride-alongs, interviewed all manner of experts, and served as a moderator for crimescenewriter@yahoo.com. She is actively involved in Sisters in Crime and the Kiss of Death chapter of Romance Writers of America (where she’s coordinated the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery Suspense).

A two-time Golden Heart® finalist, Donnell’s debut novel The Past Came Hunting became an Amazon bestseller, reaching as high as #6 on the paid overall list and finaling in the 2012 Gayle Wilson Award for Excellence, RWA’s® Greater Detroit Bookseller’s Best, and the 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Deadly Recall, also brought to you by Bell Bridge Books, is her second published novel. It climbed to #1 on Amazon’s Deal of the Day and launched her second bestseller. Betrayed, her third book from Bell Bridge Books, will be released in November. Learn more about Donnell at www.donnellannbell.com.

Come join us WEDNESDAY, Sept. 4, at the Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Pre-dinner fellowship begins around 6:15. All of our meetings are open to the public. If you’re planning to dine with us, please order ahead of time. Dinner will be served between 6:15 and 6:30 with our guest's discussion starting at 7 p.m. Even if you can’t eat, but you plan to attend, let us know so we can ensure we provide enough seats. The special advance-order menu for our group appears on the right-hand menu tab. Dinner orders should be emailed to Ellis Vidler (ellis@ellisvidler.com). If you’re ordering a burger, PLEASE indicate either “cheese” or “NO cheese.” Remember, if you order and fail to attend, you still have to pay, and we will enjoy your food.

Going To the Dogs Again--And Happy About It!

August 1, Kathi Katko, search and rescue dog handler, will be speaking to the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime. And she’s bringing her dogs.

Kathi has been a volunteer search dog handler since 2000 and a founding member of South Carolina Search Dogs based out of the Charleston area. In 2008 she relocated to the Greenville area and became a member of NCSARDA (North Carolina Search and Rescue Dog Association) based out of the Asheville area. She is currently training her third dog. Her first dog was a German Shepherd trained in scent specific Air-scent. Her second dog was a Bloodhound named Scarlet, specializing in trailing. At nine-years-old Scarlet is recently retired. Her third dog is a Bloodhound named Pinot Noir who is training in trailing. Kathi has participated in 20+ searches with Scarlet and has assisted in three finds (one live and two deceased).

Kathi is a physical therapist with 23 years of experience. She works at Roger C. Peace. Part of her job there is serving as the handler for Lonnie, a Service Dog from Canine Companions For Independence. As a Facility Dog, Lonnie participates in therapy sessions and gives lots of love and comfort. "I am blessed to be able to work with dogs in my daily job and as my hobby/passion," says Kathi.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled Thursday, August 1, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Kathi and enjoy the club fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Kathi's presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

In order for the Runway Café to speed service, dinner orders must be emailed to Ellis Vidler (ellis@ellisvidler.com) by noon the day of the meeting. If you can't eat, we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure to save you a seat. The special menu for our group is posted on the right tab under, Advance Order Menu.  If you place an order and do not attend or fail to cancel by noon, you will be charged for the meal. And like always, we'll enjoy it.

Kaye George, Past SINC Guppy President, Is July's Guest Speaker

July 11, Kaye George, short story writer and novelist, will speak to the Upstate Sisters in Crime. Since the first Thursday of this month is July 4th, we’ve had to change the date, time, and venue for the meeting.

Kaye George, a two-time Agatha nominee, is the author of four mystery series: the Imogene Duckworthy humorous Texas series, the Cressa Carraway musical mystery series, the FAT CAT cozy series, and The People of the Wind Neanderthal series. EINE KLEINE MURDER, the first Cressa Carraway novel debuted in April from Barking Rain Press. DEATH IN THE TIME OF ICE, the first Neanderthal book, in June by Untreed Reads. The first FAT CAT book, from Berkley Prime Crime, will appear in 2014.

Her short stories can be found in her collection, A PATCHWORK OF STORIES, as well as in several anthologies, various online and print magazines. She reviews for "Suspense Magazine", writes for several newsletters and blogs, and gives workshops on short story writing and promotion. Kaye is agented by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds Literary and lives in Knoxville, TN.

This month ONLY our chapter will meet the second Thursday, July 11, at Ryan’s, 2426 Laurens Rd, Greenville. Since the restaurant closes at 8:30 we plan to meet at 6 pm to ensure we have enough time to enjoy Kaye. Ryan’s serves an all-you-can-eat buffet so no preorders. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

Author Sasscer Hill Joins Us June 6

On June 6, author Sasscer Hill will be speaking to the Upstate Sisters in Crime. Sasscer has been involved in horse racing as an amateur jockey and breeder for most of her life. Now that she has turned to writing, it is only natural that her first two mystery novels are about horse racing.

Hill has a rich history as an amateur steeplechase jockey, horse farm owner, and has ridden in fox hunts for 22 years.  For some 30 years Hill owned and operated a horse breeding farm in Maryland where she raised thoroughbred horses. Among the best horses she bred and raised was For Love and Honor which won $418,000 in New York racing at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct.

Hill’s love for horses is deeply inbred over a long lineage tracing to Samuel Ogle, colonial governor of Maryland in the mid-1770s. Samuel Ogle is credited with bringing horse racing to North America, staging the first English-style race at Annapolis, Maryland in 1745. Ogle imported Queen Mab, part of the first pair of English-bred Thoroughbreds imported to the colonies. Queen Mab was a gift from Lord Baltimore presented when Ogle travelled to England in 1745.

Her love of horses, experience in steeplechase racing, knowledge of horses and writing style has prompted many book lovers and critics to compare Hill with the famous British horse racing mystery writer, Dick Francis. Her first novel, Full Mortality, was nominated for both the Agatha and Macavity Best First Mystery Awards.

As promotions director for an academic publishing house, and several trade associations, Hill ran Capitol Hill luncheons, dinners, banquets, exhibits, and  produced catalogs for direct-mail to more than 250,000 academicians, libraries and other users.

Born in Washington, D.C., Hill earned a BA in English Literature from Franklin and Marshall College and now lives with her husband in Aiken, SC.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 6 at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Sasscer and enjoy the club fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Hill's presentation will begin at 7:00. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

In order for the Runway Café to speed service, dinner orders must be emailed to Ellis Vidler (ellis@ellisvidler.com) by noon the day of the meeting. If you can't eat, we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure you have a seat. To see the special menu for our group, click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  If you place an order and do not attend or fail to cancel by noon, you will be charged for the meal. And like always, we'll enjoy it.

Literary Agent Robin Mizell Is May 2 Guest

On May 2, Robin Mizell, a local agent, has agreed to speak to the Upstate Sisters in Crime. She has asked the members to submit questions or topics they would like to have discussed. The sooner the better. To find out more about Robin check out her web site. RobinMizell.com If you have a question you would like to have discussed, send it to Robin. mail@robinmizell.com 

Prior to becoming an authors' representative, Robin received a BA in English literature and accumulated a decade of publishing experience in the corporate and government sectors and as a freelance writer and copyeditor. Since 2008, she has maintained a very small client list, so she can focus on and enjoy building the careers of a select group of gifted writers. 

Robin uses her blog Treated & Released to network and demonstrate the value of transparency to her clients. An avid monitor of media criticism, she often writes about social networking and publicity for authors. Robin's advice for writers has appeared on the LadiesWhoCritique.com blog and the Book Marketing Buzz Blog, in Writer's Guide to 2010 by Susan M. Tierney, in The Writer magazine, and in the Screenwriter’s & Playwright’s Market guidebooks published by Writer's Digest Books.  

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 2 at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Robin and enjoy the club fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Robin's talk will begin at 7:00. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

In order for the Runway Café to speed service, dinner orders must be emailed to Ellis Vidler (ellis@ellisvidler.com) by noon the day of the meeting. If you can't eat we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure to have you a seat. Click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right to see the special menu for our group.  If you place an order and do not attend or fail to cancel by noon, you will be charged for the meal. And like always, we'll eat it.

ATF Special Agent Is Our April 4 Guest

We are looking forward to Special Agent Shawn Stallo of the ATF speaking to the Upstate S.C. Chapter of Sisters in Crime meeting on Thursday, April 4. He will discuss the overall mission of the ATF and explain the differences in the Federal law enforcement agencies. He will also dissect a specific case from Anderson where he was integral in the arrest of suspected gang members, seizing cocaine and illegal weapons. He will focus on how they targeted the gang. Of course, he will also answer questions from the club. If I remembered, I have attached a newspaper article on the case.

Shawn is one of our favorite kinds of people, an avid reader. He’s a local boy originally from Anderson, SC. He received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and a Masters degree from Georgia State University.  His career started in 1999 as a Drug Task Force Agent in South Georgia, working primarily street level narcotics investigations.  In 2002 he was promoted to Special Agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; investigating violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, etc.).  In 2005 he took a job as a Special Agent with ATF.  His work primarily involves violent crime, but mostly at a proactive level, opposed to a reactive level as he did with GBI.  They target individuals/groups/gangs who are actively committing violent crime in our community.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is slated for Thursday, April 4 at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Shawn and enjoy the club fellowship. With any luck supper will be served at 6:30. Shawn is scheduled to begin his talk at 7:00. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

To speed service, dinner orders must be emailed to Ellis Vidler (ellis@ellisvidler.com) by noon the day of the meeting. This allows the Runway Café to speed service. Please let us know if you plan to attend even if you can’t eat so we can be sure to have you a seat. The menu for our group is shown on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  If you place an order and do not attend or fail to cancel by noon, you will be charged for the meal.

Author/Editor Chris Roerden March 7 Guest

We are pleased to host author and editor Chris Roerden for our March 7 meeting of the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime. We had the pleasure of a Roerden presentation several years ago. Many of us have met Chris, read her books, and heard her speak. Chris will bring first-hand knowledge of what works, and just as important, what doesn't work in our manuscripts. She is always entertaining and informative. 

In her 47 years in publishing, Chris Roerden has edited authors published by St. Martin’s, Forge, Berkley Prime Crime, Harlequin, Rodale, Viking, Midnight Ink, and many others. She’s written a game and 11 books, including two national award-winners designed to help writers get published: Don’t Murder Your Mystery (Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction Book; Anthony and Macavity finalist; Writer’s Digest Book Club selection), and an all-genre edition Don’t Sabotage Your Submission (Benjamin Franklin Award; Florida Writers Ass’n. Best Educational/Instructional Book plus Book of the Year). Yet the book Chris says she's most proud of editing is The Other Woman, the first in a new series written by Hank Phillippi Ryan, current president of Sisters in Crime. It was recently nominated for this year's Mary Higgins Clark Award.

Come join us Thursday, March 7 at the Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Pre-dinner fellowship begins around 6:15. All of our meetings are open to the public. If you’re planning to dine with us, please order ahead of time. Dinner will be served at 6:30 with our guest's discussion starting at 7 p.m. Even if you can’t eat, but you plan to attend, let us know so we can ensure we provide enough seats. The special advance-order menu for our group has changed. Please look at the options on the right-hand menu tab. As usual, Ellis Vidler has agreed to collect everyone’s dinner order at ellis@ellisvidler.com. Remember, if you order and fail to attend, you still have to pay, and we will enjoy your food. 

NINA BRUHNS TO SPEAK FEBRUARY 7, TAKE PITCHES FOR ENTANGLED PUBLISHING

Nina Bruhns, best-selling author of nearly 30 novels and editorial director for Entangled Publishing’s Suspense line, will be the guest speaker at the Upstate S.C. Chapter of Sisters in Crime meeting on Thursday, February 7. Prior to dinner, she’ll meet individually with authors who wish to pitch manuscripts for consideration by any of Entangled’s imprints. Authors must make advance appointments.

Bruhns will share career insights and advice from her journey as a best-selling author in traditional NY print, e-pub, self-pub, and digital to indie publishing. Her talk is titled “Indie is the New Black.”

Though relatively young, Entangled has published a number of bestsellers, including Jennifer Probst’s The Marriage Bargain, and has signed several best-selling authors to contracts. Macmillan recently announced plans to distribute English-language Entangled titles globally and across platforms, while St. Martin’s Press, a Macmillan imprint, is launching a joint venture imprint called St. Martin’s/Entangled to publish selected Entangled ebooks in print.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is slated for Thursday, February 7, starting at 6:15 p.m. for dinner and informal conversation with Bruhns at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Her talk will begin at 7 p.m. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

  

The Runway Café prefers our group’s dinner orders be emailed in advance to speed service. To see the special menu for our group and the procedure for placing an advance order, click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  Dinner orders must be placed by noon the day of the meeting. If you place an order and do not attend or cancel by noon, you will be charged for the meal.

Nina Bruhns’ books have been recognized with many awards, including three Daphne du Maurier Awards for Best Overall Mystery-Suspense Book of the year, two Rita nominations, two Romantic Times Bookclub Reviewers Choice Awards, a National Readers Choice Award, and five Dorothy Parker Awards of Excellence. Bruhns, who also writes under the pen name Nikita Black, has achieved bestsellerdom in both print and digital formats. Her foundation in screenwriting placed her in the position to work with Hollywood legend Blake Snyder, as well as writing guru David Freeman. Her vast experience and knowledge of the publishing business have brought a fresh eye for content and a wealth of know-how and expertise to her newest adventure as an Entangled editorial director.

Prior to the Sisters in Crime meeting, Bruhns will hear pitches for all Entangled imprints. To request a pitch slot, authors must send an advance email to: howard-g-lewis@earthlink.net  

Entangled Supsense has broadened its submissions to include suspense/mystery/thriller manuscripts ranging from 62,000 to 100,000 words. The romance-to-suspense ratio can run the gamut from 20-80 to 80-20. Bruhns adds that editors are looking for bold voices and compelling stories that pull readers into a page-turning world of thrills, sizzles, chills, and intrigue. Entangled Suspense accepts both agented and unagented submissions.