IT NEVER GETS OLD

It never gets old to see my name under the "Best New England Crime Stories" banner. This year, my short story "Wooden Spirits" appears beside other award-winning authors.

Wolfsbane: Best New England Crime Stories 2023 once again brings together many of the best writers in the genre in our region. These 21 stories cover the full range of crime fiction, from the traditional amateur sleuth to the cop in the world of self-driving cars and AI bots running your home. The award-winning authors take us to the streets of Boston where drug dealers congregate and yet show us the true character of some of those on the mean streets. A decent man goes undercover and learns a few lessons the hard way, and a lawyer faces his own hard reality. Every story brings new insight and fresh perspective to the world of crime, the criminals, and the victims caught among them.

Read the work of these award-winning writers: Jason Allison, Christine Bagley, Brenda Buchanan, Christine H. Chen, Bruce Robert Coffin, Michael Ditchfield, Judith Green, Connie Johnson Hambley, Sean Harding, Eleanor Ingbretson, Zakariah Johnson, Paula Messina, Susan Oleksiw, Robin Hazard Ray, Ray Salemi, Lauren Sheridan, Bonnie Spring, Gabriela Stiteler, Frances Stratford, Leslie Wheeler, Carolyn Marie Wilkins

AND THE WINNER IS...CRIME HITS HOME!

I am absolutely rejoicing! 

I've written about the launch of this anthology and of my excitement that my short story, CURRENTS, is included beside crime-writing greats like Walter Mosely, Sara Paretsky, Naomi Hirahara, Gabino Iglesias, and more. There is even more terrific news that I need to share with you!

CRIME HITS HOME has won the coveted Anthony Award for Best Anthology!

My grandfather once said, "Show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are." If that saying holds true, then the great company I'm in means I write darned good stories.

CURRENTS unfolds what happens when two assassins are stranded on a deserted island. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

In fact, Michael J. McCann, award-winning novelist and reviewer for the New York Journal of Books wrote a terrific review of the whole anthology and gave me an amazing shoutout!

Check it out:

Our survey of editor Rozan’s spread wouldn’t be complete without mentioning “Currents” by Connie Johnson Hambley. The atmospheric and entertaining story of two assassins facing off against each other on a desert island in the Pacific, it’s an example of how an anthology like this one can bring our attention to an author whose fiction will bear closer examination in the future.

A columnist for Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Hambley has also independently published three thrillers in her Jessica Trilogy, including The Charity (2012), The Troubles (2015), and The Wake (2017). Her contribution to this anthology casts light on her current work, as it were, and encourages us to keep an eye out for what might be coming next.

So, Yeah! I'm kinda chuffed today! 💞💞💞💞

SEEING THE UNSEEABLE: UNHOMED ELDERS

 

I was surprised to see a woman slumped behind the wheel of the car. My regular walk takes me down a dirt road to a wildlife sanctuary overlooking vast stretches of marsh not far from where this photo was taken. It’s a beautiful, out-of-the-way spot where I’ve discovered artists capturing angled light during the Golden Hour, bird watchers, and dog walkers. It’s a wonderful place to soothe yourself in quiet and privacy.

Finding a car parked there wasn’t unusual. Finding a motionless older woman was.

The small, late-model SUV had out-of-state plates and was chock full of clothes and boxes holding papers, pictures, and other seemingly cherished items. I approached slowly and absorbed whatever details I could. The passenger seat had stacks of food in various states of consumption. Clothes—good quality ones with designer names I recognized—hung on a rod suspended over the back seat. Heavy winter coats hung next to summery blouses. The woman’s gray chin-length hair was held back with a neat headband. She had a thick cardigan pulled up over her shoulders.

Her chest rose and fell in a rhythm of sound sleep.

I relaxed. All these details created a picture for me. Here was an older woman taking a road trip by herself and stopped in a gorgeous place to have a power nap before finding another adventure on the road.

I have to say, I was kind of jealous of my conjured image. She fought the stereotype of the older woman who barely leaves home alone. I imagined a healthy woman doing something fun. She looked to have the means to grab whatever gusto life has to offer. I didn’t feel a need to tap on her window to disturb her nap with nosey questions or to call the police to check on her wellbeing. The power of MYOB was strong. I convinced myself that she was fine.

But why was her car filled to the brim? Why did she have so much food with her? Why pack household goods for a road trip? Why was she so exhausted in the middle of the day?

I didn’t think much about these questions until another woman on the same road made the local papers. Police came across the woman in the same spot. They asked if she needed help. She responded she was fine, that she was on her way home, and had taken a wrong turn. A wrong turn that veered off a well-marked and paved street and went over a mile down a bumpy dirt road.

This time, it wasn’t a sunny afternoon. It was midnight. And cold. It seems the police were concerned enough about her “wrong turn” excuse to relay her information to the next town’s police. Her home, the woman said, was just a few towns away. They followed her to the town line, no doubt feeling that helping her was as big an event they would have in their sleepy community that night.

An hour later she was found dead in her burning car on the other side of town. An investigation quickly discovered that she no longer lived at the address she had given. In fact, she no longer lived anywhere.

A pit formed in my stomach. I didn’t see these women as being unrelated to the other. I saw them as horrible examples of a growing, yet invisible, epidemic.

Another woman bravely tried to give voice to what I was seeing. She had become homeless because she could no longer afford her home. She packed everything she owned into her car and posted videos of what it was like to be an older person without money or support. Resourceful, she found safe places to sleep in her car. She recorded what cemeteries had working spigots where she could get water and somewhat bathe. She talked about the struggles that brought her to homelessness and the struggles to get out of it.

In my cluster of coastal towns, images of the perfect life fill the landscape. It was these images that blinded me to what the reality most likely was for the first woman I saw. We are blinded by our bias that homelessness is not supposed to happen to our older adults. We default to ideals. Families step up. Neighbors help neighbors. Communities have resources to swoop in and prevent a life’s worth of memories from filling a shoebox stored in the trunk of a car. I have learned that in my rural oasis, over eighty older adults, men and women, are at risk of or have lost their home because of financial fraud.

It is a number that staggered me.

There is a profound amount of shame that prevents awareness of this increasing problem. Shame stems from a variety of reasons and is most potent when partnered with denial. The older adults feel shame because they weren’t strong enough to hold on to the brass ring of the American Dream and it slipped from their grasp. Or they trusted the wrong person and was conned out of their money. Or their child was too needy and took without asking. Or they were too frail or afraid to say no. Or they didn’t see the theft until it was too late.

Each of these reasons shames people into silence. The older adult is embarrassed into silence and then lies to the outside world to stay wrapped in their carefully crafted facade. The family is in a state of dysfunction because one child took, another needs, or another sees but isn’t believed. The older person doesn’t want to get anyone into trouble and remains increasingly isolated in silence and fear. They just want the bad to stop but watch helplessly as siblings war or neighbors disappear. Communities unwittingly enable the abuse by denying that homelessness happens within their borders.

I was in my own denial when I came across that first woman. I chastise myself for not knocking on her window to see if she was okay or needed anything. I should have known better.

I, too, am watching a beloved elder be defrauded by her own child. I, too, am cornered into silence for too many reasons to count. She’s afraid and filled with shame, so she lies. Her lies help her keep face even as her world dissolves.

Laws protecting elders from financial peril exist, but enforcement is complex, expensive, and completely impotent when shame and denial cow the victim into lying. Change needs to happen but can only happen when we stop denying what we see.

Resources:

National Council on Aging: https://www.ncoa.org/

National Clearinghouse on Elder Abuse: https://ncea.acl.gov/

AN AWARD NOMINATION AND A KILLER REVIEW!

It's time to share some good news!

The anthology, CRIME HITS HOME, has been nominated for an Anthony Award! This award recognizes excellence in all things crime-writing-related. From novels to short stories, to collections like anthologies, even a nomination is something to rejoice in.

So, color me rejoicing! 

I've written about the launch and my excitement of my short story, CURRENTS, being included with crime-writing greats like Walter Mosely, Sara Paretsky, Naomi Hirahara, Gabino Iglesias, and more, but I learned something else that has me stunned.

Michael J. McCann, award-winning novelist and reviewer for the New York Journal of Books wrote a terrific review and gave me an amazing shoutout!

Check it out:

Our survey of editor Rozan’s spread wouldn’t be complete without mentioning “Currents” by Connie Johnson Hambley. The atmospheric and entertaining story of two assassins facing off against each other on a desert island in the Pacific, it’s an example of how an anthology like this one can bring our attention to an author whose fiction will bear closer examination in the future.

A columnist for Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Hambley has also independently published three thrillers in her Jessica Trilogy, including The Charity (2012), The Troubles (2015), and The Wake (2017). Her contribution to this anthology casts light on her current work, as it were, and encourages us to keep an eye out for what might be coming next.

So, Yeah! I'm kinda chuffed today! 💞💞💞💞

MYSTERY MAKING ON THE CAPE!

 

When: May 12 at 1:00

Where: Centerville Public Library, 585 Main Street, Barnstable, MA

Your ideas. Our crime.

Join four of New England's top mystery and crime writers for an afternoon of murder and mayhem. These Sisters (and Misters!) in Crime authors will create a new crime using ideas from the audience. While weaving their web of crime, the authors will pull back the curtain to explain their choices and show how a crime novel is created. Think of this as jazz improv for the homicidally inclined!

Authors:
Matt Cost
Kat Fast
Arlene Kay
Connie Johnson Hambley

AUTHOR CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS: WILLIAM MARTIN & WILLIAM LANDAY

 AUTHOR CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS: 

WILLIAM MARTIN & WILLIAM LANDAY

💕

I'm thrilled to have been asked to interview two AMAZING authors at the upcoming Newburyport Literary Festival. Known for gathering some of the best authors and newest literary voices, this lit fest has something for everyone. Set in the gorgeous seacoast town of Newburyport, this is one event you cannot miss!

I have the pleasure of knowing both of these gentlemen from many New England author events. When the organizers of the lit fest asked me to interview them, I had to confess that each has been a not-so-secret author crush of mine. 

I interviewed William Martin at the recent New England Crime Bake. His newest book, December '41, is a historical thriller in the best way. Set in the early days of World War II, Bill takes his readers on a high-stakes coast-to-coast chase to thwart a highly-trained killer from assassinating the president. Referred to as the King of the historical thriller and a master storyteller, Bill is as charming as he is talented. I promise to get him to dish on his inside secrets of writing his multiple award-winning New York Times bestselling titles and his stint as a screenwriter on movies that <ahem> didn't quite make them award-worthy

Oh, and then there's William Landay. I haven't yet had the pleasure of interviewing Bill, but we've chatted at mystery galas and library events. We've compared notes on how our legal backgrounds infuse our novels with realism and suspense. Of course, Bill's Defending Jacob sets the Gold Standard for legal thrillers and his new All That Is Mine I Carry With Me does the impossible: It matches and often exceeds the expectations set by Defending Jacob.

My job is to do my homework and create an interview that informs, entertains, and lets both of these incredible authors shine without displaying my crushes too much. I don't yet have the time or the location of our interview, so check back here or on the Newburyport Literary Festival website for updates. While you're there, check out the other amazing authors who will be participating.

The 2023 Newburyport Literary Festival will feature the following:

• Friday, April 28: An opening event at the Firehouse Center for the Arts, hosting authors Peter Orner in conversation with Andre Dubus, and a cocktail party to follow at The Grog Restaurant. (Paid event)

• Saturday, April 29: A vibrant day of in-person author readings and signings (No cost to attend) 

• Sunday, April 30, an exciting day of virtual author readings and discussions (No cost to attend)

WEBINAR: LEGAL CONSTRUCTS OF A GREAT MYSTERY

What do you need to write a great mystery? Imagination, of course, and a certain approach to logic and clues that can unravel the most vexing crimes.

Going to law school honed my skills of seeing beyond the obvious and red herrings. For me, getting a JD was my writing BootCamp, although I didn't know it at the time! I foolishly thought my conflict-hating self would just love that career. Nope. Not so much.

Instead, I learned how to parse fact from fiction and how to present a case with (hopefully) airtight logic. I learned that creating a compelling mystery is like formulating a winning strategy for a case using one carefully planted fact (a.k.a. "clue") at a time.

On Tuesday, March 7, I'll present "Legal Constructs of a Great Mystery" to Florida's Treasure Coast chapter of Sisters in Crime. This is an updated talk from the well-received keynote I gave to the League of Vermont Writers.

Pre-registration is required:

https://sistersincrime-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5xxSVhCCRhCNT0oKCTEL0A


After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

BOOKWORM CAFE!

What could be better in life than curling up with a good book on a cold winter morning with home-baked muffins and coffee on hand? How about adding chowder, conversation, and supporting local readers and writers?

If you answered yes, then I have an event for you. The Bookworm Cafe has been a staple in our community to bring together authors and readers in a relaxed atmosphere. Authors talk about our craft to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at the writing and publishing process. I'll be giving a talk at 11:00 and sharing tips on how to get that story idea out of your head and different writer groups that can help.

There will be a little something for children, fiction and non-fiction lovers, and folks curious about memoirs!

When: Saturday, February 4, 2023

Time: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (my talk is at 11:00)

Where: First Congregational Church, 175 Main Street, Rowley, MA

A REVIEW OF 2022 AND A 2023 WISH

I've decided that 2022 wasn't so bad after all.

Many opinions this time of year revolve around how exhausting the past year was for them. Adjusting to new normals nudged folks out of their comfort zones, or some might say cocoons. Working remotely had been pretty terrific for many of us. We didn't have to know if the pandemic was over or if we could simply exist maskless in a place of benign neglect.

I've been on the slow-to-adapt side of the New Normal Bell Curve. Yes, I'm fully vaxxed and boosted, but being a writer has its benefits, and not having to wear hard pants or heeled shoes are two of them. Zoom has been another great tool, but life is more than seeing other humans sixteen to a screen.

In April I hit two amazing goals. The best was the release of my short story, Currents, in the Mystery Writers of America's anthology, Crime Hits Home. The thrill of seeing my name alongside crime-writing greats like Walter Mosely, Sara Paretsky, Naomi Hirahara, and more as crime fiction's top authors hasn't faded. Nope. Not one bit.

The second April goal? Fitting into said hard pants for the book launch at the iconic Mysterious Bookshop. Yep. April was a banner month.

I watched my fellow writers inch back into in-person events over the summer. Masks became optional. Heartfelt hugs returned. As wonderful as these things were, I found my writer's brain had taken a vacation to points unknown. My productivity for new work tanked but I found I was able to focus on revisions of a WIP and submissions. 

The lead-up to November brought all things Crime Bake to priority status. This three-day conference for writers of crime and mystery has been an anchor of the New England writing community for over twenty years. From dreamers with an idea or unpublished manuscript to seasoned pros with dozens of titles and awards to their names, it's truly a must-go event and I'm proud of being its co-chair even if I whine a bit about the time commitment involved. (Truth be said: running a conference during that pesky COVID uncertainty is not easy.) My interview of NYT best-selling author William Martin with co-chair Paula Munier was an absolute highlight. Yes. I wore heels and lived to tell the tale.

December brought the publication of a non-fiction piece in Mystery Reader's International's Legal Mysteries compilation of essays and columns edited by Janet Rudolph. I was happy to leverage my doctorate in law, my writing chops, and my passion for giving to the larger community into this piece. 

This past year wasn't all about writing. I'm the parent of three amazing kids who have grown into adults despite my habit of referring to them as kids. Each has set their own course and I try really hard not to over-parent but to be as supportive as possible. This support has come with the following conversation:

Middle Son approached me one day last summer. "Mom, can you watch my dog when I travel?" 

"Of course!" I said with too much enthusiasm and commitment thinking this would be at most a two-week stint. "How long will you be gone?"

"About a year."

<Gulp>

It appears that two weeks was not enough time to pedal a bike from Boston to Key West to California with a planned hike on the PCT. Silly me for being so naive.

So, my husband and I are the proud keepers of a very adorable Beagle named Pop. Our two cats are not as pleased, but if 2022 taught me anything, it was to just roll with it.

This is my round-up for 2022 and I'm looking at 2023 with guarded optimism. 

I wish you and yours all the best.