Upstate SC SinC January, 2016 Meeting

Upstate SC SinC January, 2016 Meeting

The first Upstate SinC meeting in 2016 is going to be different. Since January is an iffy weather month and our chapter must have officer elections, we hated to invite a speaker who may have to fight the weather to get to us and then have their time cut short for elections. So, our Executive Committee decided to take advantage or our great wealth of member knowledge with a guided information discussion. In February, we will return to our normal format and again host the psychic. She was so much fun the first time that we couldn’t resist bringing her back.

The trouble with the discussion was finding topics that interest everyone considering the wide range of our member’s experience. We have everything from individuals who read, to those who have just started writing, to those who have published multiple books. The decision was to let the members vote.

The winning topics in order of popularity are: What readers hate, What readers love, Plotting, Mechanics of ebook publishing, and tied for fifth, Editing and Decisions related to paperback sales/production.

The meeting will be framed as an information session, not a class. As an example, one of the topics is plotting. An actual course on how to plot could take days, and truthfully, it’s a subject a lot of our writers aren’t interested in. We came up with this topic by asking a couple of readers what they would like to know from our authors. Their first question: how do writers come up with a story? Do they know the ending when they start? Do they start with characters, and then let them decide what happens next? Or do they just make it all up as they go along so they’re as surprised by the ending as everyone else? It’s my intention to ask our writers these questions. Of course, anyone can ask a follow-up. We’ll start with the most popular and go as far as we can in the list.

I’m hoping this will be a fun session and that everyone will get something out of it. Look at the topics and think about how you would answer the questions. I will do my best to respect those who do not want to talk and give an opportunity to those who do.

Prior to the information session, we will have officer elections.

The monthly meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 7 at the Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Come at 6:15 p.m. to mill around and ask everyone else how their Christmas was. Dinner should be served around 6:30 with the meeting beginning at 7 p.m. We’ll have elections first then the information session. 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 order, please visit our website — www.sincupstatesc.blogspot.com  — click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  Please send your selection to Ellis Vidler at evidler@att.net If you do not receive a confirmation of your order, please try again. Dinner orders need to 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. And we will, as always, eat it with gusto.

Attorney: Poor Estate Plans Can Fuel Feuds

On Nov. 5, Attorney Shea B. Airey will tell Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime members how legal loopholes, poor estate planning, feuding heirs, and other factors can provide a fertile field for murder motives in crime fiction. He’ll also share some tips on how we can avoid leaving our loved ones with legal nightmares.  

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Shea and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Shea’s talk will begin right after new and old business at 7 p.m. Both dinner and the meeting are open to the public.  

In order for the Runway Café to speed service, dinner orders must be emailed by noon the day of the meeting. If you can't dine with us, we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure you have a seat. If possible, please do join us for dinner as our dinner orders help to ensure we can book our meeting room for free. To see the special menu for our group, click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right. Please e-mail your order to Ellis Vidler at evidler@att.net.

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.

Shea’s practice is heavily weighted toward Estate Planning, Real Property and Land Conservation law. A graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, he’s been recognized by both USC and the American Bar Association for his writing on an Estate Planning and Land Conservation related topic. In addition, he recently received a “Land Conservation Champion” award from Upstate Forever.

Prior to attending law school, Shea and a partner won a USC grant to create and lead a small entrepreneurial business. He also completed a business internship in Chile, South America. In addition to his native English, Shea’s fluent in Spanish

Shea says he was fortunate to learn estate planning from some of the State’s preeminent legal professors on the subject. In his practice, he provides complete estate planning counsel, involving basic to sophisticated estate planning techniques, for clients from diverse backgrounds.

Authors will be interested to learn that the owner of The Airey Law Firm, Ltd. Co. is also an accomplished writer. In 2009, he won top prize in an ABA National Writing Contest for his writing on a real property, trust or estate law topic.

Shea currently lives in Tamassee, a rural community near the mountains of Oconee County, with his wife Elizabeth and two young daughters.

Michael F. O’Shea to address Upstate SC SinC on October 1

Michael F. O’Shea, the Director of Investigations at Forensic Research Group, Inc., an accountant and a licensed private investigator, will be the guest speaker at the Upstate S.C. Chapter of Sister in Crime meeting on Thursday, October 1. Mr. O’Shea has spoken to us before.  The creativity of fraud perpetrators always amazes me. Michael has a lot of information and great stories. It will be a good meeting.

During his 25 years of financial investigative experience, Michael has worked closely with such agencies as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Resolution Trust Corporation, the Office of the Controller of the Currency, the US Secret Service and ATF.

In addition to being a licensed Private Investigator, he is a member of The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the American College of Forensic Examiners (Certified Homeland Security Level II, Accounting & Security), Association of Legal and Medical Investigative Experts (Past Treasurer), The Association of British Investigators and the Institute of Directors in the UK.

Michael has authored several articles on fraud investigation and risk management and has appeared on television on several occasions as an advisor on reports concerning financial investigations. In addition to his work in the US, Michael has conducted investigations in England, France, Germany, Italy and China.

The monthly meeting is slated for Thursday, October 1, starting at 6:15 p.m. for an informal conversation with Michael at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Dinner should be served at 6:30 with the meeting beginning 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 order, please visit our website — www.sincupstatesc.blogspot.com  — click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  Please send your selection to Ellis Vidler at evidler@att.net If you do not receive a confirmation of your order, please try again. Dinner orders need to 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. And we will of course eat it with gusto.

Ben Matthews, Author/Attorney, Joins Us Sept. 3

Ben Matthews, author of The Pursuit of Justice, will be our guest speaker at the September 3rd meeting of our Upstate SinC chapter. Kirkus Reviews calls the South Carolina attorney’s debut novel “an auspicious debut courtroom drama.”

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Matthews and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Matthews’ talk will begin right after new and old business 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 by noon the day of the meeting. If you can't dine with us, 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, please visit our website —  www.sincupstatesc.blogspot.com  — and 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.

Like the author, Raymond Jackson, the main character in The Pursuit of Justice, is an attorney. Among other things, Matthews will discuss how his profession helped him create the book’s main character and mold the plot. In the novel, the main character must defend a client charged with the murder of his former girlfriend, an exotic dancer pregnant at the time of the crime. When Ray discovers similar unsolved murders he’s forced to turn to the man he trusts least. But the attorney’s woes are just beginning. As the bodies pile up, Ray finds himself framed for murder on the eve of the trial.

A South Carolina native, Matthews is a graduate of Presbyterian College, the University of South Carolina School of Law and is admitted to the South Carolina Bar. His law practice has allowed him to appear in Horry County Courtrooms, the setting for his book, on many occasions.  

Although he is not a resident of Myrtle Beach, he spent many weeks of summer, multiple spring breaks and a host of weekends along the Grand Strand where he learned to water ski, fish, crab, shrimp, scuba dive and party. It is still the number one getaway for Matthews and his wife.

The attorney is also the co-author of Blended Family Bliss, a nonfiction work. 

August SinC Program: “Create Your Own Path”

Cathy Pickens, author and former president of our national Sisters in Crime organization, will be our guest speaker at the August 6 meeting of our Upstate SinC chapter.

Pickens’ interactive program is titled “Create Your Path.” Here’s what she has to say about the program.

“Creativity is not a mysterious muse-bestowed gift but a discipline that can be developed.

Writers know they are creative.  This workshop will introduce techniques and a process for developing and predictably tapping into that creativity. 

• To develop each individual’s creative process, we’ll explore:
• Creativity myths and misunderstandings,
• Discoveries in brain science,
• The importance of both play and mastery,
•  The secret of the notebook, and
• Techniques for capturing and refining our ideas and our writing.”

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Pickens and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. The presentation will begin right after new and old business 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 dine with us, 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, please visit our website —  www.sincupstatesc.blogspot.com  — and 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.

Cathy Pickens’ first mystery, SOUTHERN FRIED, won St. Martin’s Press Malice Domestic Award for Best Traditional Mystery.  In her other lives, Cathy has been a lawyer and business professor at Queens University of Charlotte, former president of Sisters in Crime, on the MWA national board, and president of the regional Forensic Medicine Program.  She now consults with businesses and artists on developing their own creative process and teaches both entrepreneurship and creative writing at the Mecklenburg County Jail.

               SISTERS IN CRIME WELCOMES SHARON BAKER                CO-OWNER OF GIGGIES, A FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED BONDING COMPANY

On Wednesday, July 8, the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime is pleased to host Sharon Baker, co-managing owner of Giggie's Bonding Company LLC.

NOTE - Our July meeting is being held on Wednesday, July 8 instead of Thursday.

For all of us who don't really understand the process of bonding, Sharon has the answers, and I trust some stories. She was thrust into bonding in 2000 when her father, the founder of Giggies, suddenly passed. Prior to bonding, she served in accounting and computer system administration for fifteen years, primarily in auto dealerships and computer services. When her father died she was bookkeeper for Sepala Homes, a subdivision home builder. Her husband is retired from Greenville County Service Center where for 28 years he was a mechanic for the Sheriff Department. 

Her husband now helps her with the bonding. Giggies is a family business. Her niece, who was working for the company when her father passed, is their court liaison. Her nephew is their customer services and office clerk. Her son, who is blind, helps with answering phones. She partners with her two siblings, Sandra Stowers and Lamal Thompson, who inherited the business with her.   

Along with being a busy bail bonds person, Sharon has found the time to be married to Calvin Baker for 25 years and produce 2 children with 3 grandchildren. She attended USC Columbia SC for 2 years and graduated from Rutledge College for Business. 

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Sharon and enjoy the chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Our guest's presentation will begin right after new and old business at 7:00p.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 dine with us, 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, please visit our website—  www.sincupstatesc.blogspot.com  — and 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.

JOIN OUR SISTERS IN CRIME CHAPTER JUNE 4

FOR A LOOK AT HIGH SCHOOL CRIME/ VIOLENCE/PREVENTION

On Thursday, June 4, the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime has the pleasure of welcoming Cpl. Eric Brown, Westminster, SC, Police Department, who will talk about the challenges of crime and violence in high schools and programs for juveniles.

Cpl. Brown has been a police officer for 15 years, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and is working on a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.  He spent the first nine years of his law enforcement career in the Clearwater-Tampa, Florida, with three of those years working as a School Resource Officer. He joined the Seneca, SC, Police Department six years ago and has served as a School Resource Officer for Seneca High School. He recently transferred to the Westminster Police Department where his responsibilities include programs for juveniles.

“Being a School Resource Officer is like being a one-man police force,” he says. “You are the chief, the investigator, the patrol officer, the counselor. You have to wear many different hats.”

Cpl. Brown lives in Seneca, SC, with his wife, Dee. They have seven children.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 4, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Cpl. Brown and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Our guest’s presentation will begin right after new and old business 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 dine with us, 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, 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.

SISTERS IN CRIME WELCOME ENTREPRENUERS LAUNCHING EXCITING NEW GREENVILLE BOOKSTORE

On Thursday, May 7, the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime has the pleasure of hosting Samantha Wallace and June Wilcox, two of the partners in an exciting new Greenville eterprise--M. Judson Books, slated to open soon in downtown Greenville.

THIS MONTH ONLY. DINNER ORDERS NEED TO BE SENT TO ELLIS BY 8 AM THURSDAY.

Here’s how the entrepreneurs describe their venture:

M. Judson is more than a bookstore. It’s a literary hub, a cultural hive. It’s trade in a story-centered lifestyle, and that’s the philosophy reflected in everything we do. You'll see it in the farmer-inspired seasonal dishes on our menu, our commitment to local artists, our funky gifts and vintage housewares, and our special events and author signings.

What you’ll find in our store will always flux and change, but at the center is what feeds us: our home, our bellies, and our kids. To these ends, we carry Southern, place-based literature of every kind, books about a handmade life, growing and eating and making food, and books for the next generation of readers. We are a store that’s as comfortable in the history of our stories as it is on the leading edge of what’s next in books and reading and everything a reader’s life entails. 

Samantha Wallace is an MBA-holding mother of twins and the publisher of Edible Upcountry magazine, a seasonal publication that covers local food and foodways across the Upstate.

June Wilcox is a local entrepreneur who's happiest when she’s working on something that matters … like a really cool bookstore.  Greenville-bred and Greenville-proud, June is also the founder of a successful consulting company and the co-founder of two really cool boys.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 7, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet June and Sam and enjoy the chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Our guests' presentation will begin right after new and old business at 7:00p.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 8 AM Thursday. If you can't dine with us, we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure you have a seat. Click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right to see our special 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.

Author Leann Sweeney to speak April 2, 2015

Thursday, April 2, the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime has the pleasure of hosting Leann Sweeney, author of the Yellow Rose Mysteries and the Cats in Trouble Mysteries.

Leann was born and raised in Western NY, attended St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing and Lemoyne College in Syracuse. Second degree in Behavioral Science from University of Houston.

She began writing in 1990. Took lots of classes, owned an entire bookshelf of "how to write" books, joined Mystery Writers of America, published numerous short stories and found an amazing critique group about 1995. All were mystery writers and now three of them are published by Penguin Random House--Dean James (Aka Miranda James) Kay Finch (previously published by Avon, first book from Penguin out in September) and her. She wrote The Yellow Rose mystery series and now writes the Cats in Trouble mysteries--the last four books hit the NY Times bestseller list. She never expected that to happen. She has a husband, two grown kids with amazing spouses, 3 granddaughters, 2 cats and a dog. From the time she finished her first book to publication was 11 years. 

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 2, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Leann and enjoy the chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Leann's presentation will begin right after new and old business at 7 p.m. Both the dinner and the meeting are open to the public, and we will be glad to have you.

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 dine with us, 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, please visit our website—  www.sincupstatesc.blogspot.com  — and 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.

On March 5, our speaker is Chief William E. Daniel

Thursday, March 5, the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime has the pleasure of hosting Chief William (Bill) E. Daniel, Fire Chief/Director of Fire & Emergency Medical Services of Clemson University and the City of Clemson.

Chief Daniel started with CUFD in August of 1981 as a Student Firefighter. He received a BS from Clemson University in Administrative Management with a minor in Occupational Safety & Health in 1985. He In 1986 he was hired as a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic, promoted to Captain in 1992, then to the position of Chief of Department in August 2001. 

He has accomplished so much and served on so many committees that I needed more space for his complete bio. Look below the meeting information for more about the Chief. He has done a lot and probably has many stories. This should be a fun meeting.

The monthly Sisters in Crime meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 5, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Chief Daniel and enjoy the chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. The Chief’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 dine with us, 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, please visit our website—  www.sincupstatesc.blogspot.com  — and 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.

Chief Daniel is a Certified Resident State Fire Marshal, IFSAC Fire Officer, and Nationally Registered Paramedic. He has served on the SC State  Homeland Security Piedmont Regional Counter Terrorism Coordinating Council, Pickens County WMD Needs assessment committee, Pickens County COBRA Team Program Management Group. Current Chairman of the Board of Directors for Upstate EMS Regional Training Council. Past President and Current Secretary for the Pickens County Fire Chiefs Association, Member of the South Carolina State Firefighters Association, South Carolina State Fire Chiefs Association, International Fire Chiefs Association (IAFC), and the Clemson Lions Club.

He is a member of Rock Springs Baptist Church in Easley, SC and lives in Clemson with wife Teresa, the Associate Municipal Court Judge for the City of Clemson, along with two sons David (17)  and Dylan (13).

Author James M. Jackson Our Feb. 8 Guest

On Thursday, February 5, the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime has the pleasure of hosting James M. Jackson author of the Seamus McCree mystery series.

The Seamus McCree mystery series--BAD POLICY (2013) and CABIN FEVER (2014) published by Barking Rain Press. With freshness, quality of writing, and the story's  commerciality as criteria, BAD POLICY won the Evan Marshall Fiction Makeover Contest. James splits his time between the deep woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Georgia’s low country. Jim also has published an acclaimed book on contract bridge, ONE TRICK AT A TIME: How to Start Winning at Bridge (Master Point Press 2012), as well as numerous short stories and essays.

His website is http://jamesmjackson.com.

As usual our February 5 meeting will be held at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Jim and enjoy the chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Jim’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 dine with us, 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.

Kick Start 2015 with Martial Arts Primer

The Upstate Sisters in Crime January meeting will be held WEDNESDAY, January 7, 2015 at the Runway Cafe.

At the meeting, Howard Lewis will present a martial arts program. He practiced martial arts for 20 years and taught for 10. His highest rank is a 5th degree black sash in Esoma Kung Fu. Howard says there are things in books that drive martial artists nuts. He'll address the ones that get to him. He'll also provide a short history of the martial arts, move to categories (internal/external, hard/soft, long/short), then to training and how that training manifests itself in practice. He'll spend a little time talking about the five animals studied in traditional Kung Fu, and how their attitudes can be used by authors. He'll also review holds, locks and bars, throws, and weapon techniques. With any luck, everyone will be able to return to their homes under their own power. 2015 officers will be elected at the meeting.

Our Wednesday, January 7,  meeting will be held at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C. Be there at 6:15 p.m. to enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Officer election will begin at 7 p.m. with the martial arts discussion immediately following. 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 dine with us, we would still like to know you plan to attend so we can be sure you have a seat. To see the special menu, 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.