More chances to get into print with short stories

THE LOVE IS MURDER Mystery Conference has announced a first ever short story writing contest. It is open to authors who have never been published in fiction in any medium, the story must be in the crime, suspense, thriller, or horror genre and the maximum word count is 5,000 words. Deadline is July 16. Further details can be found on the Love Is Murder website under the “Events” tab. Winners will be announced at Love Is Murder (February 4-6, 2011, Rosemont, Ill. ) and will be published in the February issue of CrimeSpree Magazine.

Another first for Love Is Murder is a track on the graphic novel. An expert panel will teach the nuts and bolts of this widely popular genre. So if you’ve ever wondered what it takes to produce such a story, this will be the place to find out.

Love Is Murder, as I’ve said before, is the almost perfect conference for would-be mystery writers. There is ample time to meet with editors and agents and to pitch their work. If there is only one conference that you can attend, this is the one. Hope to see you there!

Writers' contest; updated calendar of crime

HERE’S ANOTHER CHANCE to become published. If you have a short story, up to 5,000 words set in New England, you are eligible for a cash prize of $100 and publication in Level Best Book’s next anthology of sort crime fiction. There is no entry fee and writers can enter up to two stories. The contest is held in conjunction with the New England Crime Bake Mystery Conference where the winners will be announced. The deadline for entry is April 30 and you need not attend the conference to win. The Conference will be held November 12 -14 at the Hilton Hotel, Dedham, Mass. Details for the conference and contest can be found on the conference website.

Other mystery upcoming conferences include:

Malice Domestic 22, April 30-May 2, 2010, Arlington, VA

Crimefest, May 20-23, 2010, Bristol, England

Book Expo America, May 25-27, 2010, New York, NY

Mayhem in the Midlands, May 27-29, 2010, Omaha, NE

PSWA Conference, June 17-20, 2010, Las Vegas, NV

Thrillerfest 2010, July 7-10, New York, NY

Theakston’s Old Peculier Harrogate Crime Festival, Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK, July 22-25, 2010,

Killer Nashville Mystery and Thriller Conference, August 20-22, 2010, Franklin, TN

Writers’ Police Academy, September 24-26, Jamestown, NC

Bouchercon by the Bay, October 14-17, 2010. San Francisco, CA

NoirCon, November 4-7, 2010, Philadelphia, PA

“Love is Murder” – an old friend is back

LOVE IS MURDER, the Chicago mystery conference, on hiatus for the past year, will be back next February, bigger and better than ever, according to the program organizers.

It is scheduled for February 4-6 at the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare, 5300 N. River Rd., Rosemont, Illinois, complete with its famous “Pitch-a-Palooza” where writers have the chance to pitch editors and agents. It was at a pitch session like that where I sold my first novel, Murder Most Holy, at Love is Murder a few years ago.

I’m planning on being there with End of the Line.

For more information on Love is Murder, click here.

Nice event by the Joice Library

MY WIFE AND I HAD a wonderful time yesterday at the Seventh Annual Author Invitational and omelet breakfast held as a fundraiser for the Joice, Iowa Public Library. There were 13 authors present ranging from Christian and inspirational, to romance, to murder (me). We met some very interesting folks, and made some nice contacts for my new novel, End of the Line, which is due out in June.

                          

One of the attendees was Robert Kerr, a Des Moines area school psychologist, who wrote an interesting book, Completely Restored, in which a new homeowner is taken back in time to the year the old house he was restoring was built. Seated next to me was Valerie Lackore (above), a writer from Forest City, Iowa whose book, Trials to Triumphs, is the inspirational story of her son’s more than 50 laser surgeries.

One of the most interesting authors was Carson Ode who, with his wife, traveled through all 99 counties in Iowa and documented, in words and photos, what living in Iowa is really like. His book was so spectacular I’ve included a link to it in my “Recommended Books” section in the right column. Cover below:

                                      

Joice (Iowa) Library Event

THIS SATURDAY (March 13) I’ll be at the 22nd Annual Omelet Breakfast and 7th Annual Author Invitational for the Joice Public Library. The event will be held at Bethany Lutheran Church from 7 to 11 a.m. There will be 14 other Iowa and Minnesota authors there all signing their books, including Des Moines romance author Maggie Rivers.

This is a breakfast and fundraiser for the library. The church is at State and Franke, about a block south of the library. I will have copies of Murder Most Holy for sale and autograph as well as information on the upcoming End of the Line.

If you are in the area, please stop by. It sounds like a fun and relaxed time.