the savvy sleuth - Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter
Transcription
the savvy sleuth - Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter
! JANUARY 2014 THE SAVVY SLEUTH A SISTERS IN CRIME DESERT SLEUTHS CHAPTER PUBLICATION Next Desert Sleuth’s Meeting S.O.P.: Apprehension and Booking Tim Moore A 27-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department will be guest speaker at the Wed., Jan. 15, 2014 meeting of Desert Sleuths at Grimaldi’s Pizzeria Wall Street Room, 4000 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale. Phoenix Police Detective Tim Moore, a Desert Sleuths member, will talk about "Standard Operating Procedures: Apprehension and Booking.” Following several years as a patrol officer, Moore has been a detective for 23 years, working a wide range of assignments beginning in the Property Crimes Bureau, Airport Investigations Unit and Family Investigations Bureau, where he investigated domestic violence and assault cases. He was then assigned to the Violent Crimes Bureau and Homicide Detail before an appointment as a Court Liaison to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, after which he was selected to work in the Laboratory Services Bureau. There, Moore’s team established guidelines for the department’s Cold Case investigations. He is currently the Administrative Detective in the Reserve Division where he processes applications from retired officers and from citizens in the community wanting to become Reserve Officers. JOIN US! The Desert Sleuths Chapter of Sisters in Crime meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at Grimaldi’s in Old Town Scottsdale. Desert Sleuths Member authors please feel free to bring your books to sell at meetings! 6:00-6:30 DINNER & NETWORKING 6:30-7:00 BUSINESS MEETING 7:00-8:00 PHOENIX POLICE DETECTIVE: TIM MOORE Grimaldi’s Pizzeria Wall Street Room 4000 N Scottsdale Road Scottsdale, AZ 85251 480-994-1100 INSIDE LOOK: 2From the President 4Member News, Announcements 7Writing News, Upcoming Events 9Member Spotlight: Kris Tualla 11Rogue’s Gallery 13Crime Corner 15Caught in the Act 16Anthology 17Membership Moore has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration. He has taught Crime Scene Management, Crime Scene Photography, Collection and Preservation of Evidence, and Interview and Interrogation Techniques, along with Specialized Crimes and Death Investigation, at the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy in Phoenix. He has been married to his wife, Laurie, for 27 years and they have two grown daughters. ! PAGE 1 ! JANUARY 2014 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Sisters and Misters, 2014 CHAPTER OFFICERS Happy New Year to all of you! Whether you are a resolution maker or not, it’s always good to be as organized as possible with your writing. SinC Immediate Past President Hank Phillippi Ryan suggests writing first thing in the morning, before you’ve checked email and Facebook. Others get their second or third wind late at night, when it’s quiet and the phones have stopped ringing. Whatever is your best time to write, the main thing is that something gets on the page on a regular basis. Whether you’re cranking on your novel, solidifying your 250 words for the Alfred Hitchcock Murder Mystery Magazine or following a Writer’s Digest prompt, just keep writing. President: Laurie Fagen Vice-President: Margaret Morse Secretary: Merle McCann Treasurer: Cathy Rogers Member-at-Large, Membership: Susan Budavari Member-at-Large, Special Events: Judith Starkson Member-at-Large, Publicity Chair: Laurie Fagen Newsletter Team: Connie Flynn, Martina Cartwright, Laurie Fagen Newsletter Layout: Berkley Bosch As your new president, I’m excited about our growing chapter and the enthusiasm from your board and all of our members. By the time you read this, your board will have met in a daylong retreat to discuss plans for the future events of Desert Sleuths, which included budgets, by-laws and many other topics. More to come on that. As a means of introduction, I’ve been a professional writer in many mediums for most of my life, starting as a broadcast journalist in commercial radio and television, moving to cable television and video production, even writing a few spec TV and film scripts along the way, two of which won awards in Writer’s Digest contests, and a rewrite that got stuck in “development hell” in Los Angeles. I came full circle as a journalist when my late husband and I published an 80-page, twice-monthly community newspaper, the SanTan Sun News, for 13 years until his death in March 2013. I’ve also written murder mystery plays, parade scripts, magazine articles – just about anything anyone would pay me to write. And I wasn’t kidding about that Alfred Hitchcock story – in fact, that’s how I started writing crime fiction after reading the genre since I was a teen. I penned a short mystery story for the magazine and won an honorable mention – enough to give me encouragement to jump into mysteries and crime fiction. Since then, I’ve had two short stories published in Desert ! PAGE 2 ! JANUARY 2014 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Sleuths’ anthologies, have written a number of short stories and am finishing a novel called FADE OUT about a young radio reporter who covers the cops, sheriff’s office and courts, and helps the local police department solve cold cases. For fun, she writes and produces mystery podcasts. Of course, it’s a series! In one of my email signatures, I refer to myself as a “Serial Entrepreneur,” because in addition to writing, I’m a fiber and jewelry artist, a jazz vocalist and an art promoter. But as president of Desert Sleuths, one of my primary goals is to get as many people involved in and excited about our chapter as possible. Not only does it spread the tasks of running a more than 100-member organization, it also grooms members to take on other roles and prevents burn out for those who have been volunteering for years. So please say “yes” when we call on you to help! It’s a fun group, you get to learn a new skill for your résumé and we ALL get time to write. I’m still learning members’ names, so please introduce yourself at one of the next meetings or drop me a line by email. Until then, keep writing! Laurie Fagen, LaurieFagen@gmail.com ! PAGE 3 ! JANUARY 2014 MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS Desert Sleuths member Merle McCann had two book signings at The Lakeside Bar & Grille in Peoria in early December, and sold about 22 books. “I never imagined I would be signing and selling my books in a sports bar, but it turned out just fine,” she says. “I met lots of friendly people, and management at the Grille were fabulous hosts.” She agrees with the adage, “Never turn your back on an opportunity.” While she said it was tough competing with the bar and a “gazillion” television sets, the book buyers didn't seem to notice. McCann had a drawing, in which she gave away a copy of the first DS Anthology produced. She says a woman named Dolly was thrilled when she learned she had won. For others who would like to take on an evening “at the bar,” give Paul or Tomasina a call at 623-566-1470. The Lakeside Bar & Grille is at 9980 W Happy Valley Rd, Peoria. Desert Sleuths member Annette Mahon has sold another mystery to Five Star/Gale/Cengage. It will be called BRIGHT HOPES, a St. Rose Quilting Bee Mystery. The fifth in this series, Mahon says it will be out in September 2014. In December, St. Martin's Press offered Desert Sleuths member Betty Webb a two-book contract for her upcoming Gunn Zoo books. After a brief period of celebration, though, she turned it down in order to keep the series with Poisoned Pen Press. The Gunn Zoo books — The Anteater of Death, The Koala of Death and The Llama of Death, with at least two more books to come — has been with PPP since the series' inception in 2008. “Bigger isn't always better,” Webb explains. “And I'm not willing to give up Barbara Peters as my editor. A mystery writer couldn't ask for a better mentor.” Info: www.bettywebb-mystery.com ! PAGE 4 ! JANUARY 2014 MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS Desert Sleuths member Clark Lohr’s second crime novel, The Devil on Eighty-five, went live on Kindle in December and is expected in paperback soon with this logline: Romance goes on a date with crime fiction in The Devil on Eighty-five, the second in the Manny Aguilar series. Manny is a hard-nosed Arizona PI with a redheaded pagan girlfriend he can’t do without. When an Indian cowboy is accused of murdering his own wife, Manny follows a trail out the back end of the Tohono O’odham reservation to Ajo, Arizona, and to Arizona State Route 85, a smuggling corridor where guns and money go south and drugs and border crossers go north. Evil loves darkness on Highway 85 and the desert is the deadliest player in the game. “I am grateful to Desert Sleuths for introducing me, via club presentation, to Dennis Palumbo, psych doc, television writer, crime novelist, and Sisters in Crime presenter, who asserted that crime fiction has a solid and serious place in our society— because, when it’s at its best, it tells the truth,” Lohr says. His “mission” in The Devil on Eighty-five, aside from producing “a sexy and entertaining mystery,” is to tell some truths about a complex societal problem, a national problem with international connections and consequences. “We call this problem ‘the drug wars,’” he explains. “Wars don’t make social calls. Wars take your life, or a piece of your body, or people you love, or your freedom, or your mind, or, at the very least, your pocketbook—and we’re all involved in the drug wars, whether we know it or not, at least at the level of our pocketbooks.” His book refers to Arizona State Route 85, which leaves Phoenix at Buckeye and I-10 and runs to the US-Mexico border at Lukeville, and then to Rocky Point, Mexico, the location of lengthy urban firefight as of late, featuring automatic weapons, helicopters, and casualties, the combatants being the Mexican military and the drug cartels. On a lighter note, he adds: “So hey, how many noir crime writers does it take to screw in a light bulb? None. We like it dark. But I can’t help but go for the laughs when I write novels, and Manny and Reina and their boss, Jeff Goldman, are three of the funniest people I know in that private world of the sisters and misters—the writer’s world.” ! PAGE 5 ! JANUARY 2014 MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS Desert Sleuths member Connie Flynn has a new novel out, her first original “in a long time.” She says Know When To Run was written over a number of years, has had several titles, some major story adjustments and even multiple changes to the heroine’s name. But Ky Taylor she is and the man who will torment and delight her over the course of the story is Gabe McGregor. Flynn says: “Ky woke up one morning on a Mississippi riverboat with a huge headache and no idea of who she was. Nearly two years later, Gabe came after her, claiming she killed her own father. She says he's got the wrong woman. He says she's guilty as sin. One of them is right …” Flynn says to look for a Facebook event in mid-January, a blog-hop later that month, and a two-week blog tour beginning Feb. 10 with prizes, free eBooks, bookstore gift cards, and possibly a special surprise giveaway for those who attend all three events. More info: www.connieflynn.com WRITING NEWS, OPPORTUNITIES New group formed for authors A new group, called League of Local Authors, has recently been formed to provide signing and selling opportunities for published Arizona authors of all genres. Annual membership is $25 a year, which gives unlimited access to various events. Two upcoming events have been arranged, where a tent and tables will be provided, and authors handle their own sales: The Farmer’s Market at Cross Roads United Methodist Church 7901 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85020 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on last Saturday of every month The Esplanade Farmer’s Market 2425 E Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85016 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on second Friday of every month The Esplanade is going to promote the authors with press releases and advertising. Authors interested can contact Elaine Mays at emays@mindspring.com. Desert Rose conference coming in April The 2014 Desert Dreams Writer’s Conference, “Turn Your Dreams to Reality,” will be held April 4-6 at Tempe Mission Palms Resort in Tempe. The conference provides authors of all skill levels – from beginner to multi-published – with the tools necessary to take their writing to the next level. Sessions included general writing, career development, genre-specific, agent/ publisher spotlights as well as an agent/editor panel. ! PAGE 6 ! JANUARY 2014 WRITING NEWS, OPPORTUNITIES Speakers include: NY Times best-selling author Christie Craig giving the keynote address; NY Times best-selling author Sylvia Day; award-winning author and speaker Mary Buckham; NY Times best-selling author Allison Brennan; NY Times best-selling author Karin Tabke and more. This national bi-annual conference gives writers a chance to ready their manuscripts and pitch to sell them to editors and agents. Editors and senior editors from Grand Central Publishing, Random House, Decadent Publishing and Boroughs Publishing, as well as agents from The Kristin Nelson Literary Agency, The Nancy Yost Literary Agency and The Bradford Literary Agency, will be on hand to give advice and present workshops. “Agents and editors visiting the conference actively seek the high caliber of talent found among those who come to Desert Dreams,” says Desert Sleuths member Kris Tualla, who created the annual reader conference, Arizona Dreamin’, held on the weekend after Memorial Day, which complements Desert Dreams, which she helps organize. In addition to workshops and opportunities to mingle and meet authors, Desert Dreams’ attendees are given a one-on-one appointment with an agent or editor of their choice free of charge. Every attendee is offered this option, but attendees must sign up early for their choice since agents and editors are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees can enter an unpublished, non-contracted manuscript in the REALIZING THE DREAM contest, and there are also author promotion opportunities available. Desert Dreams also offers a book-signing open to the public from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sat., April 5 in the Mission Palms Ballroom. Registration for Desert Rose Romance Writers of America members is $205, and $235 for nonmembers. Non-conference attendees can attend guest meals for $75. Full details and online registration is available at www.desertroserwa.org, and more information is on Facebook, Twitter and the Desert Dreams Blog. Music, mystery lunch, memoirs to Cave Creek library Learn about the origins of war tunes from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Tue., Feb. 25 at the Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Rd. in Cave Creek. “The Music of World War II: War Songs and Their Stories” by Dr. Sheldon Winkler tells the stories behind the origins of many of these patriotic musical compositions about heroes, love, remembrance, reflection and introspection. Signed books will be available for purchase for $15 cash by Winkler. Seating is limited. To register, call 480-488-2286. Adult Services Librarian Dereth DeHaan says coming in March, it’s a bring-your-own Mystery Lunch & Book Signing with popular, award-winning mystery authors Libby Hellman and Cara Black. It will be from noon to 2 p.m. Mon., March 17. Meanwhile, the Memoir Writing Group meets from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on the first Monday of the month. Details: www.dfla.org ! PAGE 7 ! JANUARY 2014 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: KRIS TUALLA Writer bridges mystery, romance genres By Laurie Fagen Nancy Drew series, saying “she transported me to another world.” Also a romance writer and Writers typically strive to active member of Romance develop unusual, interesting Writers of America, she heroes for their stories, and created Arizona’s first Kris Tualla has landed on a romance-reader event called very original character for “Arizona Dreamin’” which is her mystery series, A slated for May 30 to June 1 Discreet Gentleman. at Chandler’s The Windmill Initially wanting to create a Inn & Suites. historical deaf hero, she Tualla has also written two made him a private Kindle books for writers: A investigator in early 1700s Primer for Beginning Norway who lost his Authors and Becoming an hearing at age seven. So, in addition to creating Authorpreneur, both available through her believable dialogue, she also includes some website or on Amazon.com. Often heard sign language descriptions. exclaiming her tagline “Norway is the new Her five-book series with Desert Breeze Scotland!” Tualla is an enthusiastic speaker Publishing includes A Discreet Gentleman of and teacher who talks to groups about book Discovery, about a serial killer; A Discreet promotion, branding, book trailers, adding Gentleman of Matrimony, detailing a murder humor and more. behind locked doors, which also received She’s currently working on a new Renaissance Coffee Time Romance's highest award; A trilogy, but says crimes might “pop up” in them Discreet Gentleman of Consequence that as well, and turn them into mysteries. includes a Ponzi-type scheme; A Discreet Gentleman of Intrique about international She shares a writing tip with Desert Sleuths’ politics; A Discreet Gentleman of Mystery members about encouraging beta or first complete with a Hansen Manor Floorplan, readers for your manuscripts. Royal Family Tree of Characters and Stefan's “Have several people read your work and give Journey Map on her website. It includes a blurb for A Woman of Choice from Scottsdale’s you honest feedback before you submit or publish. Too many aspiring authors are Diana Gabaldon, best-selling author of the skipping that important step, and selfhighly acclaimed Outlander series. publishing bad manuscripts,” she explains. This Jill of many trades - former high school special education teacher, fast-food server and This busy author and mother of four can be found at a number of book-signing events this travel agent among them - grew up on the ! PAGE 8 ! JANUARY 2014 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT (CONT’D) spring: She’ll be at the Chocolate Affaire in Glendale from Feb. 7-9, with info at www.eventcrazy.com/Glendale-AZ/events/ details/51260-Glendale-Chocolate-Affaire; Tucson Festival of Books March 15-16, www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org and Desert Dreams book signing at Tempe Mission Palms in Tempe from 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 5, www.desertroserwa.org/conferences/ Phoenix-Romance-Writers-BookSigning.php. Laurie Fagen, 2014 president of Desert Sleuths/SinC, has her second short story published in SoWest: Crime Time, and is working on a crime fiction manuscript with a young radio reporter protagonist. An Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine honorable mention winner and former community newspaper publisher, Fagen is also an artist, art promoter and jazz singer. Above all, she leaves us with this advice: “Write what you read, write what you love, and write what you can be proud of.” LARCENOUS LINKS Best Crime Fiction of 2013 by Oline Cogdill-McClatchy http://bit.ly/19QilSZ New Regional Dictionary http://bit.ly/1cdEMXJ 100 Notable Books of 2013 http://nyti.ms/1f3EIbK Dead Men's (and Women's) Pens … and Desks http://on.ft.com/1ddTx9p Banning the Negative Book Review http://nyti.ms/1ji4bkd Perfect Mysteries http://bit.ly/1clsyXD Here's a Worthy Place for Any Extra Books http://booksforsoldiers.com/ R&R … and R: Hotels House Libraries http://nyti.ms/19FhhqB E-Reader or Big Brother? http://nyti.ms/1izyxAb ! PAGE 9 ! JANUARY 2014 ROGUE’S GALLERY Photos courtesy Tim Moore HAPPY PARTIERS: Attendees at the Desert Sleuths’ holiday event included, from left, Judith Starkston, Virginia Nosky, Karen and Pascal Marco and Kris Tualla. JOINING THE FUN: Kate Herbert, Roni Olson and Kastle Olson smile for the camera. DÉCOR DIVAS: The decorations in the party room at 5th & Wine for the Desert Sleuths’ holiday party were thanks to the efforts of, from right, Merle McCann and Martina Cartwright, here with Laurie Fagen and Don McCann. ! PAGE 10 ! JANUARY 2014 ROGUE’S GALLERY MISTERS, TOO: Pascal Marco and Clark Lohr are just two of the many “misters” who are members of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths. Photos courtesy Tim Moore OUT JUST IN TIME: In thanks for her service to the organization, outgoing Desert Sleuths President Deborah J Ledford receives a wall quilt entitled “Brush with Death” created by 2014 President Laurie Fagen at the Desert Sleuths holiday party in December at 5th & Wine in Scottsdale. ! PAGE 11 ! JANUARY 2014 CRIME CORNER: AN ARTICLE BY A DESERT SLEUTH LET’S TALK ABOUT TV CRIME: Rumpole of the Bailey by Howard (Doc) Carron greater need than those of the Crown. Leo McKern, who played “Rumpole,” shared the same perfection as Raymond Burr’s “Perry Mason,” John Thaw’s “Inspector Morse” or Sean Connery’s “James Bond.” McKern was born in Australia in 1920 and came to England in 1946. His first film appearance was in Murder in the Cathedral in 1952. He also distinguished himself in A Man For All Seasons and diversely in Help. The very clever script, produced by Mortimer, and McKern’s rather sympathetic but gruff portrayal, was quickly accepted by the public, resulting in additional episodes. “It’s not the frivolity of women that makes them so intolerable. It’s their ghastly enthusiasm.” This statement was attributed to lawyer/ barrister “Horace Rumpole,” who, when not holding forth at Jack Pommeroy’s Wine Bar drinking claret, defends the accused in London’s Old Bailey, London's Central Criminal Court, in the British television series Rumpole of the Bailey. The TV show was the creation of former barrister and writer John Mortimer, twice divorced—which might explain “Rumpole’s” comment—who, unlike other barristers, worked only for the defense. “Rumpole” shares that role, along with his belief that the rights of the accused had a ! Part of the 1980 PBS Mystery, it was hosted first by Gene Shalit and more ably by Vincent Price later on. Not really a whodunit, since it was rarely difficult to figure out the plot, it was more like a case study of the amusing character and his interactions with clients, co-workers and his wife, “Hilda,” played by Peggy Thorpe Bates, who he referred to in voiceovers as “She Who Must Be Obeyed,” a reference to the fearsome queen in the adventure novel She by H. Rider Haggard. In the greater scheme of things, “Rumpole” falls far short of the finest barrister to walk the halls of Old Bailey—not exactly the picture of Savile Row, with rumpled old hat, ashes on his vest from his smelly cheroots and a fondness for cheap wine. The accused, however, could not find a harder working defense counsel, who, armed with his Oxford Book of English Verse, a fondness for Wordsworth and an PAGE 12 ! JANUARY 2014 CRIME CORNER: AN ARTICLE BY A DESERT SLEUTH (CONT’D) uncanny knowledge of bloodstains, proves the innocence of his clients. He has a serious lack of respect for authority, especially in the personage of “Judge Bullingham,” whom he often refers to as “The Mad Bull.” A two-hour special, Rumpole's Return, was aired in 1980, between the second and third episodes of the new series. The second television series was adapted for BBC Radio 4 in 1980 along with seven new stories. Rumpole: The Splendours and Miseries of an Old Bailey Hack starred Maurice Denham as “Rumpole” and Margot Boyd as “Hilda.” Denham had played “Rumpole” from 1994 to 1999 in Rumpole: The Splendours and Miseries of an Old Bailey Hack. This changed when Leo McKern and Maurice Denham died one day apart: McKern on July 23 and Denham on July 24 in 2002. When four new 45-minute plays were broadcast by BBC Radio 4 in the autumn of 2003, the lead role went to Timothy West. Rumpole and the Primrose Path also starred West's wife, Prunella Scales, as “Hilda.” Star. “When Perry Mason prevailed, it was a victory for law and order. When Rumpole concludes, it’s a victory for the common man.” All 44 episodes are available on DVD in both Region 1 and Region 2 formats. Writer, musician, artist and actor, Howard “Doc” Carron is a retired reference librarian who enjoys writing short mysteries and sharing his interest in that genre. “The stories are very literary, almost like chess problems, because each one has a theme-and very few stories on TV are thematic,” according to Donald Westlake of Mystery Writer. “What makes ‘Rumpole of the Bailey’ so enjoyable is the mildly eccentric, yet lovable qualities of its hero, Leo McKern,” writes Barry Garron of the Kansas City ! PAGE 13 ! JANUARY 2014 CAUGHT IN THE ACT: LOCAL AND INDUSTRY NEWS IndieReaders: Best Indie Books of 2013 http://bit.ly/192ygT8 Mysteries & Thrillers were 11 of Top 20 Amazon Best-Sellers in 2013 http://bit.ly/JOlF9Z A Selection of 2013 Favorite YA/ Children’s Books http://bit.ly/1d68KgD Smashwords Grows in 2013 http://bit.ly/1kh0caE The Crossword Puzzle Turns 100 http://bit.ly/KnwEbM Record Profits for S&S? http://bit.ly/19Fgi9G DailyLit Releases First Short Story Bundle http://bit.ly/KnwWzn Reading Novels Thought to Boost Brain Function http://ind.pn/KlEmmA Writing Routines of Famous Authors http://bit.ly/19Fgdmw Is Crowdfunding a Viable Alternative to Traditional Publishing Models? http://tcrn.ch/1kh1678 Do You Buy Too Many Books? http://bit.ly/1l7yZFx Recent U.S. Writing and Publishing Stats http://bit.ly/KnwlgX New Global Deal Between Scrib, Smashwords http://bit.ly/KnwQrn SHARE YOUR NEWS Would you like to share your writingrelated events and announcements with the Sisters and Misters? Join Desert Sleuths on Facebook and Twitter and on the Web: ON FACEBOOK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER@DesertSleuths ON FACEBOOK Search: Sisters in Crime - Desert Sleuths Chapter ON TWITTER ON THE WEB DesertSleuths.com ON THE WEB ! PAGE 14 ! JANUARY 2014 DESERT SLEUTHS ANTHOLOGY Ever been in the wrong place, at the wrong time? Feel safe where you are now? In this volume from the Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter, 20 authors show why you need to keep your guard up. Be ready to react. In the desert, in the mountains, in the Valley towns of Arizona, when you least expect it... It’s CRIME TIME. PRAISE FOR DESERT SLEUTHS ANTHOLOGY “Suspenseful, surprising and sometimes even hilarious! This twisty and entertaining collection of revenge, retaliation, and diabolical deeds not only showcases the gorgeous and unique southwest— but also the skill and originality of these incredibly talented sisters in crime. Loved it!” --Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark award winning author *** “A southwest crime wave of bad men, strong gals, and one cool cat in a delicious collection of tales infused with passion, revenge, trickery, greed, and deceit. Spicy and tasty as a crisp chimichanga!” --Rochelle Staab, author of the award-winning Mind for Murder mysteries. *** “From the desert to the mountains, from the grungiest cabin to the swankiest mansion, from the oldest native traditions to streets in Scottsdale where the stucco isn’t dry—these stories bring the ! southwest to exuberant life. Heartswelling hero(in)es, dastardly villains, and a glorious, rabblesome chorus of authentic folks jump off the pages. What a box of delights!” --Catriona McPherson, Agatha, Macavity, and Left Coast Crime award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver series and As She Left It. *** “In the way Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire Mysteries introduced readers to Wyoming, SoWest: Crime Time reveals greater Arizona’s wild and independent spirit, the collision of the urbane, urban and untamed nature. Beautifully curated and edited, SoWest: Crime Time will drive readers to search for more works written by the authors in this collection. Suspense on every page!” --Naomi Hirahara, Edgar Award-winning author of the Mas Arai mystery series and Murder on Bamboo Lane: An Officer Ellie Rush Mystery PAGE 15 ! JANUARY 2014 BECOME A MEMBER Don’t miss out on all the benefits Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter has to offer. If you haven’t renewed your membership, please go to the Membership page on the Desert Sleuths website. BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP: Monthly meetings with writing and crime-fighting industry professionals. Monthly e-newsletter highlighting valuable news articles, updates on publishing information, links to sites for research, member spotlight, and much more. Support for your writing endeavors. Networking opportunities with other writers and published authors. Opportunity to submit a short story for consideration to the Desert Sleuths Chapter anthologies, a perk available only to members. Opportunity to showcase your books at monthly DS meetings, events and appearances. Signing opportunities at events such as the Tucson Festival of Books. Discounted member rates at annual conference and other events. We’ve made renewing your $20 annual membership or becoming a new member easy with three ways to pay: 1) Via PayPal at the website: http://desertsleuths.com/?page_id=19 2) Mail a check to: SinC Desert Sleuths Chapter P.O. Box 9352 Phoenix , AZ 85068 3) Cash or Check at the Desert Sleuths monthly meeting (every 3rd Wednesday, except August and December) Grimaldi’s Pizzeria - Wall Street Room 4000 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 480-994-1100 We value your membership. Help continue to make Desert Sleuths the best Sisters in Crime Chapter in the entire nation. Local chapter dues are $20 professional, $50 institutional National professional dues are $40, or $80 for two years; $35 for active members. Make checks payable to: Desert Sleuths SinC Mail to:! Desert Sleuths Chapter ! Sisters in Crime ! PO Box 9352 ! Phoenix, AZ 85068 ! desertsleuths@gmail.com ! ! Make checks payable to: SinC Membership Mail to:! SinC Membership ! PO Box 442124 ! Lawrence, KS 66044 ! www.sistersincrime.org PAGE 16