Jan 3 - Phil Carter, US Postal Inspection Service

   Is your 2019 appointment calendar handy? You definitely want to get it started by marking Thursday, January 3^rd, as the date of our first Sisters in Crime monthly meeting of the New Year! We will hit the ground running with a Greenville- based federal law enforcement officer, Richard P. (Phil) Carter, Jr., a National Business Liaison Program Manager for the US Postal Inspection Service. Mr. Carter will discuss what his job with the postal service entails and share some of his interesting cases.

Is your 2019 appointment calendar handy? You definitely want to get it started by marking Thursday, January 3

   Mr. Carter has twenty years’ experience as a criminal investigator and investigative supervisor in the areas of narcotics, ‘white collar’/violent crimes, terrorism and other investigations at local and federal levels. His areas of expertise include a working knowledge of event and site counter-threat planning.

   A recognized Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the areas of Facility Security, Workplace Violence, Hazardous Materials and White Collar Crime Investigations, Mr. Carter’s experience also includes instructing law enforcement officers, prosecutors and business professionals in subjects including officer safety, firearms, workplace violence and threat abatement.

MEETING DETAILS

   Our monthly meeting will take place on Thursday, January 3rd, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, SC.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Phil Carter and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Our speakers will begin after new and old business at about 7 p.m. Both dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

   Please e-mail your dinner and drink order before noon on Thursday to Ellis Vidler (click on link).This speeds service and helps us plan. The link for our special menu is located on the right-hand column listing.

   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. Look forward to seeing you.

JOIN US FOR COMING EVENTS

February 7—Fight scenes and self-defense with Howard Lewis, 5th degree black sash in Esoma Kung Fu

March 7--Debra Goldstein, judge, litigator, and author of the Sarah Blair mysteries

SinC Upstate SC Chapter Holiday Party

Sunday, December 2nd, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Where:  East Shores Club House

110 Wynmere Way

Seneca, SC 29672

(864) 882-0120

Everyone is asked to bring a dish or dessert.  Also, in keeping with the Upstate SC Chapter tradition, everyone is invited to bring something to read. Also, please bring any books you’d like to share in a book exchange.

Contact Linda Lovely about coming and what you plan to take.

Hostess: Danielle Dahl

Directions to the Eastshores Clubhouse from Greenville

Via US-123 – 1hr 7mins (51.8 miles.)

Get on I-85 S from Boiling Springs Rd and Pelham Rd.

Follow I-85 S to SC-153 in Powdersville.

]Take exit 40 from 1-85 S (Route 153)

Continue on SC-153 to Easley

Use the left 2 lanes to stay on US-123 S thru Clemson.

2 miles beyond Clemson, take Old Clemson Hwy at the light (Food Lion will be on your right.)

Drive 5 miles to dead end.

Turn sharp right on SC-130 N to Wynmere Way (A red arrow will mark the entrance.)

Turn left, follow the clubhouse signs and red arrows.

You’ve arrived.

Nov 1 - Secret Service Man Tommy Smith

Our Speaker

A.T. (Tommy)  Smith will talk about his career in the secret service and some of his 

personal experiences. He’ll also tell us what writers often get wrong concerning his field and include a little about his plans for the Greenville County sheriff’s department if he is elected.

Mr. Smith is a native sixth generation South Carolinian. He grew up in Taylors and graduated from Wade Hampton High School in 1976.  His law enforcement career began in 1978 when he was hired as a communications dispatcher for the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Johnny Mack Brown.  His 29-year Secret Service career began in 1986 as a Special Agent assigned to the Miami Field Office. He served as Senior Advisor on cybersecurity and transnational organized crime and finally as Deputy Director of the Secret Service.

Among his many assignments, he served as Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office and Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protective Division.  

He has received numerous citations, including the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Silver Medal, the Secretary’s Award of Excellence, and awards from the New York’s Finest Foundation and the American Society of Industrial Security. 

Mr. Smith holds master’s degrees in Science in Criminal Justice from both Alabama and USC. He is an active member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Association of Former Agents of the United States Secret Service, and National Sheriff’s Association member.

Smith is running for sheriff of Greenville County, but the election cannot officially begin until Will Lewis no longer holds the title.

Meeting Details

Our monthly meeting will take place on Thursday, November 1, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, SC.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Tommy Smith and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper is served at 6:30. Our speakers will begin after new and old business at about 7 p.m. Both dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

Please e-mail your dinner and drink order before Thursday the 1st to Ellis Vidler (click on link). This speeds service and helps us plan. The link for our special menu is located on the right hand column listing. 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. 

Looking forward to seeing you!

JOIN US FOR COMING EVENTS

December 2--Christmas Party

January 3--Phil Carter, postal inspector, formerly with secret service

February 7--to be announced

March 7--Debra Goldstein, judge, litigator, and author of the Sarah Blair mysteries

Minutes from the October 4. 2018 meeting

Twenty-six smart, talented, and charming members and guests attended our October meeting at the Runway Café in Greenville. After everyone was sufficiently settled in and fed, President Sally Handley brought the meeting to order, and we began with the usual intros and news from the assembled gang.


Madam President (she goes by Sally almost always) then gave a summary of all the new business: Sally’s presenting a “We Love Libraries” check of $1000 to the Landrum Middle School Library on October 11^th at 11 am, and invited anyone who wishes to join her to meet her at the library that day. 1000 bucks! Wow! SinC’s a great organization, no? In other new business the Hampton/Easley library is hosting a Fall Authors Showcase on November 11th. If interested, contact the library. And the library on Augusta Road in Greenville is hosting an author talk on November 5^th. Moving on from all the library news, our own Judy Buch will be the new moderator for the Mystery Book Club at Fiction Addiction in Greenville. The book club meets the second Wednesday of the month at noon, and this month they will be discussing Judy’s own, Venom. The Fiction Addiction website gives further details!


Also in new business, Linda Lovely reminded us it’s time to think about our annual Holiday Party. We have chosen the date of Sunday December 2^nd at the clubhouse in Seneca where we have held the festivities for the past few years. Keep the date open, cuz we always have loads of good fun and loads of good food! More details coming soon…


But onto the main event for this month! Our speakers at our October meeting were Jill Hendix and Vally Sharpe. Seeing a real need among self-published authors, Jill and Vally began their business, Fiction Addiction Self-Publishing Services. Jill brings her twenty years experience in the book-selling business to the partnership, and Vally is an editor with marketing and design experience. Together, they promise to help any indie author achieve their goals of bringing a professionally designed and edited book (both paperback and ebook) to the market. Boy, do these women know their business! The gang learned lots of details about current business trends, and editing and cover-design do’s and don’ts. If you missed the meeting, DO check out their website: info@fiction-addiction.com And DON’T forget to join us next month!


Respectfully Submitted,


Cindy Blackburn, chapter secretary

October 4 Meeting—Fiction Addiction Publishing Services with Jill Hendrix and Vally Sharpe

Jill Hendrix, who grew up in Greenville, was valedictorian of Southside High's first International Baccalaureate class and graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in history. After a brief stint as an editorial assistant for St. Martin's Press followed by several Internet startups, she returned to Greenville in 2001 and opened Fiction Addiction, the independent bookstore located at Shops by the Mall on Woods Crossing Road.

A writer and editor for most of her life, Vally Sharpe has also been a psychotherapist and specialist in psychological evaluation, past president of the Georgia Writers Association, and is the author of two books, Simon Says: Views from a Higher Perspective (2004), for which she was named Georgia Author of the Year in the Inspirational Category, and The Gospel According to Emily (Kindle, 2014 – Print, 2015). She has worked with a variety of people on their first novels in addition to overseeing publishing in the leadership development, business management, and spirituality genres.

Fiction Addiction Publishing Services (FPS) is a partnership between Jill Hendrix of Fiction Addiction and Vally Sharpe of United Writers Press. FPS began in 2015 and since than has helped authors publish over 13 books, with more in the pipeline. FPS offers editing, self-publishing, and local marketing services.

TIME AND PLACE

Our monthly meeting will take place on Thursday October 4th, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, SC.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet  Jill and Vally and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Our speakers will begin after new and old business at about 7 p.m. Both dinner and the meeting are open to the public.

Please e-mail your dinner and drink order before noon on Thursday to Ellis Vidler (click on link). This speeds service. The link for our special menu is located on the right hand column listing.

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. Look forward to seeing you.

JOIN US FOR COMING EVENTS
November 1--Tommy Smith, former secret service agent, running for Greenville County sheriff
December (date and details to be announced)--Christmas Party
January 3--Phil Carter, postal inspector, formerly with secret service
February 7--to be announced
March 7--Debra Goldstein, judge, litigator, and author of the Sarah Blair mysteries

Sept. 6 Meeting: Role of Court Reporters

Our meeting this Thursday, September 6th, will feature guest speakers Rebecca Bazzle and Amber Payne. Becky and Amber will be providing us with insights into the world of court reporting, discussing how you train to be a court reporter, the importance of court reporters, and the potential problems caused by the current shortage of skilled practitioners. 

A graduate of Furman University, Rebecca “Becky” A. Bazzle, BS, CVR-M holds a state court reporting certification issued by the SC Supreme Court and the CVR-M certification from the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA). Becky has been working as an official court reporter for the state of South Carolina covering Family Court, Civil Court, and Criminal Court. Since 2001 she has owned and operated a freelance court reporting firm in upstate South Carolina. Active in both the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA), Becky is currently serving as Legislative/Advocacy Committee Chair for the NVRA.

With a bachelor’s degree in Advertising from the University of South Carolina and an associate’s degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting from Tri-County Technical College, Amber Payne has spent the last ten years working in media.  She is currently Master Control Operator at WGGS-TV 16 in

Taylors, SC. In 2016, Amber decided that she wanted a job change and her sister inspired her to pursue a career in court reporting. Currently, she is an online, court reporting student at the International Realtime Court Reporters Institute in Little Rock, AR. A board member of the South Carolina Court Reporters Association, she was a recipient of the 2018 Horace Webb Scholarship, sponsored by the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA).

Our monthly meeting will take place on Thursday September 6th, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, SC.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet  Becky and Amber and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Our speakers will begin after new and old business at about 7 p.m. Both dinner and the meeting are open to the public. 

Please e-mail your dinner and drink order before noon on Thursday to Ellis Vidler at ellisvidler1@gmail.com.This speeds service. The link for our special menu is located on the right hand column listing. 

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. Look forward to seeing you.

July 11 Speaker: Prison System Psychologist

NOTE: Due to Fourth Holiday, July meeting has been moved to WEDNESDAY, JULY 11!

Our guest speaker for the July 11 meeting will be Julie Zimmerman, Staff Psychologist in the North Carolina Prison system for the last 14 years. She will share her experiences working within the penal system.

A Licensed Psychological Associate, Julie earned her MA in Clinical Psychology from Appalachian, completing her internship at a prison in 2003/2004.  For the first eleven years of her career, she worked in a close custody (maximum security) prison in a program for inmates with severe mental illness at Foothills Correctional Institution and then Alexander CI.

For the last three years Julie has worked in a processing center (Piedmont CI) and will explain how processing works, the typical type of person that comes into prison, and what, if anything, is usually wrong with them. 

Julie will also talk to us about how the mental health system in prison works, and what kinds of services are available.  She will discuss the residential mental health program she worked in, sharing with us interesting cases (mainly people with schizophrenia) focusing on the cases that involved crimes in which prisoners harmed others as a result of their mental illness and the reasons behind their behavior.

As mentioned above, our July Upstate SC SinC meeting will take place the second Wednesday of the month, July 11, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, SC.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet the Julie and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Julie’s talk will begin after new and old business at about 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 join us for dinner as our dinner orders help to ensure we can book our meeting room for free.

The special menu for our group, is on the Advance Order Menu tab at right. Make your selection and e e-mail your order to Ellis Vidler at ellisvidler1@gmail.com.

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. Happy Fourth of July!

Minutes from the May and June 2018 Meetings

Your chapter secretary has been remiss, as usual. But here are the minutes for our May and June meetings. What’s the saying? Better late than never.

Minutes from the May 3rd Meeting

17 members and guests attended the meeting on May 3, 2018 at the Runway Café in Greeenvile. Our president Sally Handley (who is far, far more conscientious than yours truly) brought the meeting to order with gobs of new business and opportunities for all of us. She and Linda Lovely attended the Malice Domestic conference and brought back lots of info from SinC national. If you are a member (and you should be, or you’re missing out on stuff) go to the SinC national website to find out about Book Club Central—a great way to get your mysteries in front of libraians and book clubs nationwide! Also the website outlines guidelines for the SinC education grants—grants given to members like YOU to attend conferences, or take courses, for your professional development as an author. Also at the SinC national website is info about this year’s Bouchercon in St. Petersburg and the one-day workshop SinC sponsors at that.

Charles Duke reminded us the Golden Doughnut short story contest sponsored by Writers Police Academy is underway. See the Writers Police Academy website for details on entering.

And finally our terrific guest speaker, cozy mystery author Cheryl Peyton, took over. Cheryl regaled us with many amusing tales of her adventures in life and her other jobs and careers, all of which gave her fodder for her books. Cheryl enjoys and spends a lot of time on research. She especially likes Google Earth Pro since her protagonist in her series is a travel agent/tour guide. And one aside—along with Wayne Zurl, Cheryl is the co-founder of the Authors Guild of Tennessee. Cheryl was a very entertaining, charming, and informative speaker! Thank you, Cheryl!

Minutes from the June 7^th Meeting

A whopping 25 people attended our June meeting! After our usual self-intros (we needed them with so many new faces), President Sally Handley got down to new business with another great opportunity brought to you by SinC national. Go to the website to learn about entering short stories into the Me Too short story anthology. Dealine for submissions is July 1, 2018. Also in new business, on July 28^th Elaine Vietts will be the guest speaker at the SinC Palmetto chapter in Columbia. See their website for details. Sally also reminded us about the mystery book club our chapter co-sponsors with local bookstore Fiction Addiction. Linda Lovely hosts one more meeting—the club will be reading Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Then Sally Handley will take over leadership for the next three month stint. The book club meets at Fiction Addiction the 2^nd Wednesday of the month at noon. Sounds like fun! Linda reminded us the deadline for the Golden Doughnut short story contest in conjunction with the Writers Police Academy.

Then our terrific guest speaker Larissa Reinhart gave us her presentation about keeping a series alive and fresh. Larissa, who writes cozy mysteries, offered tons of great ideas! As an author of two cozy mystery series myself, this was a lesson I, personally, needed to hear! Everything Larissa said was fascinating, but a couple gems: Why keep a series fresh? Not only to keep the reader’s interest, but also the author’s. Larissa offered some “easy” ways to keep things fresh—like changing the setting, the protagonist’s occupation, or giving an occassional book a holiday theme. And then she offered more complex ideas about backstories and character arcs. Be sure that EACH character in your books, not just your protagonist, has a backstory and a character arc.  In other words, everyone should be changing and growing as your series develops! Such great ideas! I’ve been thinking about all my character arcs ever since! Thank you Larissa!!

In conclusion, the Upstate Chapter of  Sisters in Crime meets the first Thursday on every month at the Runway Café in Greenville. Arrive at 6:15 for some social time and chatting, and dinner is served at 6:30, and soon after that our meetings get underway. Trust me, it’s THE place to be on those first Thursdays. Join us!

Respectfully Submitted,

Cindy Blackburn

Chapter Secretary

June 7 Meeting Guest is Larissa Reinhart

A bright spot on the horizon is our monthly meeting coming up on June 7th. Our speaker will be Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa Reinhart. With several mystery series in her repertoire, Larissa will talk to us about how to keep a series fresh.

The author writes humorous mysteries and romantic comedies including the critically acclaimed Maizie Albright Star Detective, Cherry Tucker Mystery, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. Her works have been chosen as book club picks by Woman’s World Magazine and Hot Mystery Reviews. Larissa’s a contributor to the 2017 Silver Falchion Reader’s Choice winner, was the 2015 Georgia Author of the Year finalist, 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, 2012 The Emily finalist, and 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner.

Larissa’s family and dog, Biscuit, had been living in Japan, but once again call Georgia home. You can see them on HGTV’s House Hunters International “Living for the Weekend in Nagoya” episode. Visit her website, LarissaReinhart.com, and join her newsletter for a free short story.

Our monthly Upstate SC SinC meeting will take place Thursday, June 7, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, SC.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet the Larissa and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Larissa’s talk will begin after new and old business at about 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 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, go to the Advance Order Menu tab at right to make your selection and e e-mail your order to Ellis Vidler at ellisvidler1@gmail.com.

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.

May 3 Meeting Announcement

Hello Sisters and Brothers in Crime.

Cozy mystery writer Cheryl Peyton will be guest speaker at our monthly meeting on May 3rd discussing how she conducts research and develops characters for her novels.

The daughter of a writer and editor of Christian young adult books, Cheryl grew up in the Chicago western suburb of Glen Ellyn. When she was a child, her mother, would read to her from manuscripts with a blue editing pencil in hand. While reading, her mother would give her literary advice, like, "Don't ever use passive verbs."  At the age of six, the future mystery writer had no idea what her mother was talking about, but, nevertheless, promised she never would.

In addition to her mother’s early influence, Cheryl has had diverse careers that have shaped her writing experience, including social work, interior design, and paralegal work. As a writer, she’s drawn from these various positions and the diverse people she has met in imagining her plots and colorful characters.
In 2012, Cheryl co-founded the Authors Guild of Tennessee to bring together local authors, both traditional and self- published, to help market their books. The group has now grown to over 40 members that represent more than 150 titles.

Cheryl lives with her husband in a lake and golf community southwest of Knoxville in East Tennessee where they share their  home with their Havanese dog, Cody.  You can learn more about Cheryl and her books at: facebook.com/cheryl.peyton.3.

The monthly Upstate SC SinC meeting will take place Thursday, May 3, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, SC.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet the Cheryl and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Cheryl’s talk will begin after new and old business at about 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 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, go to the Advance Order Menu on our blogspot page, make your selection and e e-mail your order to Ellis Vidler at ellisvidler1@gmail.com.

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.

Sincerely,

Sally Handley, President, Upstate SC Chapter, SinC

Minutes from April 5, 2018 Chapter Meeting

28 members and guests enjoyed the festivities at our April 5^th meeting of the Upstate Sisters in Crime. Our illustrious president Sally Handley brought the meeting to order with lots of new business. First, a new mystery book club co-sponsored by our group and Fiction Addiction bookstore in Greenville has begun. The club meets the 2^nd Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. at Fiction Addiction, and our own Linda Lovely is leading the discussions for the first three months. The first three books/three months are devoted to mysteries with amateur sleuths. Contact Linda or the bookstore for details!

Sally also reminded us she is coordinating the formation of critique groups. If you would like to be in a critique group, e-mail Sally and she will facilitate new groups. Dianna Manley asked about Beta readers, and Sally the magnificent agreed to help any of us looking for Beta reader partnerships find each other also. Again e-mail Sally and she’ll try to hook you up with other like-minded authors in our group.

Also in new business, the Clemson Public Library’s Spring Author Showcase is on May 20^th and the library has openings for more local authors if anyone is interested. Contact the library directly for more info.

Charles Duke reminded us the Golden Doughnut short story contest sponsored by Writers Police Academy is underway. See the Writers Police Academy website for details on entering.

And finally under new business, Elisabeth Eldering announced that the Columbia chapter of Sisters in Crime is hosting guest speaker Elaine Vietts in June. More details will follow on that!

Sally then turned the meeting over to Eliis Vidler, who introduced our guest speaker Mike Cox. But first we heard from Mike’s wife, Heather Newton (author of Under the Mercy Tree) about the Flatiron Writers Room that offers writing seminars up in North Carolina. Check out the website for some professional development ideas!

And finally we got to hear our guest. Mike Cox, who worked as a trauma nurse for 30 years, and is now a hospice nurse. Amazing stores and details, and as always our group had loads of interesting and intriguing questions. We learned much about emergency room procedures and the kinds of injuries trauma nurses see.  Thank you, Mike!

Join us the first Thursday evening of each month at the Runway Café in Greenville. Our meetings are enjoyable, educational, and you can get dinner, too! Yay!

Respectfully submitted,

Cindy Blackburn, chapter secretary

April Meeting Announcement

Hello, Sisters and Brothers in Crime.

Trauma nurse Mike Cox will provide a presentation based on his thirty years’ experience at our next meeting scheduled for Thursday April 5th.

A Greenville native, Mike graduated from Warren Wilson College, a liberal arts college near Asheville, North Carolina. After a time working in landscaping, he wanted something more substantial and went back to nursing school. His thirty years’ experience includes three years with the Greenville Hospital System, fourteen at Mission Hospital in Asheville, and thirteen at the Asheville VA Medical Center. He’s dealt with gunshot wounds, knifings, and psychotic breakdowns as well as accident victims and hysterical family members. 

Mike currently works as a hospice nurse at the VA. He enjoys the outdoors and most recently hiked Blood Mountain in Georgia. His sideline is growing hostas in his greenhouse. Mike is married to Heather Newton, author of Under the Mercy Trees: A Novel.

The monthly Upstate SC SinC meeting will take place Thursday, April 5, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, SC.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet the Mike and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Mike’s talk will begin after new and old business at about 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 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, go to the Advance Order Menu, make your selection and please e-mail your order to Ellis Vidler at ellisvidler1@gmail.com.

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.

Look forward to seeing you April 5th.

Sincerely,

Sally Handley

President, Upstate SC SinC

Minutes for the February and March 2018 meetings

Minutes for February and March 2018 meetings

Your delinquent secretary is catching up! Here goes:

28 people attended our meeting on February 1, 2018 at our usual spot, the Runway Café. The only new business was our president Sally Handley explaining the benefits of becoming a member of Sisters in Crime national organization. Then our super duper guests took the stage. Jane Tucker, retired funeral director at Stribling Funeral Home in Duncan, SC, discussed a lot of very interesting aspects of her career as a funeral director, and then her husband Don Tucker discussed his 20-year career with the NYC Department of Corrections as a prison guard on Riker’s Island. Boy, this couple must have interesting dinnertime conversations!

We enjoyed what must have been a record turn out of 35 on March 1, 2018, when retired FBI special agent in charge, Charles Middleton, joined us at the Runway Café. But first our President Sally Handley discussed some old business—namely a promise to help facilitate critique groups for those of our members who are interested. (Sally has since sent out an e-mail on this topic) Sally also mentioned that the Guppies group does some critique group partnering up on line. Check it out!

In new business Linda Lovely reminded us registration for this years Writer’s Police Academy is now open! And the Writer’s Police Academy’s annual short story contest, The Golden Donut, is now accepting submissions of short stories of EXACTLY 200 words. (See WPA website for further details and the photo your story should be based on.) Good luck to all those who give this one a try! Linda also mentioned she has contacted Jill Hendrix, owner of local bookstore Fiction Addiction, who will be spearheading a Mystery Book Club at the store. Linda has volunteered to lead the new club for the first three months, and we hope other members of our SinC group will also volunteer for a 3-month stint leading the club. Sounds like a fun way to read and talk about mysteries!

And last but certainly not least, Charles Middleton took the podium and offered MANY fascinating and intriguing tales of his days in the FBI. Wow! I can see why we invited him back to talk to us and hope he joins us again. A great speaker!

Be sure to join us every 1^st Thursday of the month at the Runway Café for dinner and discussion of all things mystery and more!

Respectfully (and belatedly) Submitted,

Cindy Blackburn

Upstate SinC Secretary

March Meeting Announcement

March is nearly here and once again, we are in for a special treat at our monthly meeting on March 1. FBI cold cases will be the focus of this month’s guest speaker, retired FBI Special Agent in Charge Charles H. Middleton. Whether or not you’re writing government or espionage thrillers, you won’t want to miss Mr. Middleton’s presentation.

Appointed a Special Agent of the FBI by Director J. Edgar Hoover on December 14, 1970, Mr. Middleton served in the San Francisco, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Mobile Field Divisions, and served two tours at FBI Headquarters, Washington, DC. In July 1992, Mr. Middleton was assigned to the National Security Division at FBIHQ, where he served as Chief of the Counterespionage Unit.  While assigned as the Chief of this unit, he was tasked with the management of a number of significant espionage cases, to include the identification, arrest and conviction of Russian spy Aldrich Ames.

As Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Division, Mr. Middleton managed national security matters, to include the Los Angeles Task Force on Terrorism.  He later headed the Violent Crime Division, where he was also in charge of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Crime, the largest such task force in the United States. In 1998, Mr. Middleton was again assigned to FBIHQ as Chief of the Global Counterintelligence Section, managing over 3,000 investigations of a counterintelligence nature. 

In 2000, Mr. Middleton was named by then Director Louis Freeh as Special Agent in Charge of the Mobile Field Division, encompassing the 36 counties which make up the Middle and Southern Federal Districts of Alabama.  In February 2002, Mr. Middleton also served as one of the FBI On-Scene Commanders for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.  Mr. Middleton is currently serving as a consultant to the U.S. Government on matters of National Security.

Our monthly Upstate SC SinC meeting will take place Thursday, March 1st, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet Chuck Middleton and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. Mr. Middleton’s talk will begin after new and old business at about 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 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, go to: http://sincupstatesc.blogspot.com/ and click on the Advance Order Menu tab at right.  Please e-mail your order to Ellis Vidler at ellisvidler1@gmail.com.

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.

 

meeting announcement and guests for February 1st!

Hello, Sisters and Brothers in Crime.

This month we are in for a dual speaker treat. With diverse backgrounds in law enforcement and funeral service, husband and wife, Donald and Jane Tucker will be speaking to us at our February 1st meeting.

A native of Spartanburg County, SC, Jane is a graduate of Limestone College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Management.  After working a two-year apprenticeship with Lanford-Pollard Funeral Home in Spartanburg and passing the SC State Funeral Board Exams in 1987, Jane was one of the first women in Spartanburg County licensed as a funeral director.  While working in other areas of business, she continued to be involved with serving families when called upon to do so. After “one” of her retirements, she began working part-time with Stribling Funeral Home in Duncan, SC and continued to do so until moving to North Carolina.

Jane has recently “retired again”* -- this time from Psychiatric Associates of Spartanburg.

Donald Tucker was born in Brooklyn, NY and lived on Long Island until moving South in the 1980’s. He is a graduate of New York Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Science and Criminal Justice.  He retired from the New York City Department of Corrections with twenty years of service working on Riker’s Island and in the Courts.  He retired from the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon in Greenville County.  Don retired from the US Navy Reserves after 24 years of service.

The monthly Upstate SC SinC meeting will take place Thursday, February 1st, at The Runway Café, 21 Airport Rd, Greenville, S.C.  Be there at 6:15 p.m. to meet the Donald and Jane and enjoy chapter fellowship. Supper should be served at 6:30. The Tuckers’ talk will begin after new and old business at about 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 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 ellisvidler1@gmail.com.

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.

Look forward to seeing you February 1st.

Sincerely,

Sally Handley

President, Upstate SC SinC

Minutes for January 2018 Meeting

January 8, 2018

Thirteen must be a lucky number, because that's how many of us gathered on the first Thursday of 2018 (January 4th) for our always-rousing Upstate SinC meeting!

After dinner and introductions, we got down to the business of electing officers for the coming year, and member Charles Duke wasted no time in moving to keep the entire slate of officers from 2017. Things happened so fast (we sisters and brothers are efficient!) that I can't even tell you who seconded, but all officers from 2017 were unanimously re-elected for another year. WHAT a shocker!

Therefore, the one and only Sally Handley is our President. Hail to the chief, baby! Howard, aka Haird, Lewis is our Vice President, Helen Turnage is our Treasurer, Linda Lovely is our Membership Chair, Ellis Vidler is our Community Liason, and yours truly, Cindy Blackburn is our secretary.

Then the real fun began as VP Howard Lewis emceed our THIRD Annual Guided Discussion of popular and vexing questions, problems and issues. This discussion is fast becoming our January tradition here at Upstate SinC. Howard asked as such thought-provoking questions as:

What is a good book?
How do you create likable/believable characters?
How do you add emotion to a story, and how much emotion is good?
What makes for a good plot?
What does good pacing mean?
What do we want to see more of in books?
What so we want to see less of in books?

It's always fun, educational, and informative to share our thoughts, opinions, and ideas. And Howard did a great job. We've come to expect nothing less!

To top off the evening Madam President Sally Handley led a discussion of what our SinC chapter can do for YOU! So here are a few things to look forward to as 2018 gets underway:

Efforts to facilitate critique groups or critique partnerships
Workshops (perhaps quarterly) on the craft of writing
Pitching local bookstores for a Mystery event
Efforts at fundraising to raise money for workshop or seminar instructors.

Altogether an enjoyable and informative evening with people who love to read and write. Can't beat that!

Happy New Year!

Respectfully Submitted,

Cindy Blackburn,
Chapter Secretary