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Showing posts with label mysteries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mysteries. Show all posts

Thursday, March 6, 2025

NEWBURYPORT LITERARY FESTIVAL 2025

 




I'm thrilled to be moderating a panel of prolific and distinguished mystery authors. Join me for a lively dishing of insider dirt. Learn about inspiration and process and their favorite ways to kill people and hide a body...all on the page of course!

The Newburyport Literary Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary with three days filled with established and emerging authors. Specific sessions, venues and times can be found on their website.

DATE: APRIL 25-27, 2025

PLACE: NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS 

WEBSITE: Newburyport Literary Festival

Thursday, February 6, 2025

NOIR AT THE BAR!

We all need a great escape into the crackling world of fiction. What better way than to join some of New England's best crime writers for an evening of noir? Each author will read a short piece and the night will guarantee your head will be filled with morally ambiguous characters in dark places. (Hmm. Come to think of it, maybe this sounds too much like our news feed.) Either way, come! Have a cocktail and some delicious food and discover your new favorite author.

When:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00 PM
READINGS START AT 7:00
(Oh, and I'm first up, so don't be late!)



Cafe Avellino's owners are terrific supporters of the local art scene and hosting a night of authors will create a cherished and memorable event.
CAFE AVELLINO
242 HUMPHREY STREET
SWAMPSCOTT, MA

(Venmo or Cash Only)









 

Friday, October 13, 2023

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






Friday, February 24, 2023

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.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

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.












Wednesday, April 6, 2022

CRIME HITS HOME EVENT: THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP

 

WHAT: Party

WHY: To celebrate CRIME HITS HOME

WHERE: The Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren Street, NYC 10007

WHEN: Wednesday, April 27, 6:00-8:00

WHO: You and your guest

The Mysterious Bookshop is proud to host a party to celebrate the publication of the 2022 Mystery Writers of America anthology. Many contributors will be on hand to sign copies. The event is free (the book is not; it is $27.99) and open to members of MWA and customers. Mark your calendar!

Edited by the amazing SJ Rozen, contributors include: Walter Mosley, Connie Johnson Hambley, Naomi Hirahara, Susan Breen, Gabino Iglesias, Stephen Liskow, Sara Paretsky, David Bart, Jonathan Stone, Bonnie Hearn Hill, Neil Plakcy, Ovidia Yu, Gary Phillips, Renee James, Alexandra Jamison, Tori Eldridge, Ellen Hart, G. Miki Hayden, and Jonathan Santlofer.
Many contributors will be on hand to sign copies.



Wednesday, July 14, 2021

SHOOTING WITH THE BIG GUNS

Oh, yeah! I'm beyond thrilled that my short story will appear alongside great crime authors. Below is a repost of the announcement by Mystery Writers of America (with permission).

~~~

The Publications Committee of Mystery Writers of America is thrilled to announce the full list of contributors for the next MWA anthology, CRIME HITS HOME, edited by S.J. Rozan and forthcoming from HarperCollins in 2022. Ten MWA members earned a spot in the collection through an anonymous submission process, joining stories by 10 authors originally invited to contribute to the collection.

Congratulations to David Bart, Susan Breen, Tori Eldridge, Connie Johnson Hambley, G. Miki Hayden, Bonnie Hearn Hill, Alexandra Jamison, Steve Liskow, Neil Plakcy, and Jonathan Stone, whose stories will appear alongside those by Rozan and writers she personally chose to participate: Carolyn Hart, Naomi Hirahara, Gabino Iglesias, Renee James, Walter Mosley, Sara Paretsky, Gary Phillips, Jonathan Santlofer, and Ovidia Yu. 

“What was most exciting about the stories we received for the contest — and what made it so difficult for me and the judges to choose — was the variety of different ways the writers interpreted home,” said Rozan. “For some it was a physical place, for others a community, a family... Home is what you make of it, and these writers made wonderful work.” 

Judging for the anthology was done by a distinguished panel of these writers’ peers. Alex Segura of the MWA Publications Committee worked with judges Jonathan Brown, Brendan Dubois, Cheryl Head, Michael Nava, and Laura Joh Rowland, who read and selected stories from the anonymous submissions — difficult decisions given the quality of the writing submitted by so many other MWA members.

MWA adult anthologies are published each spring with a new guest editor. Rozan, Segura, and Laurie R. King, chair of the Publications Committee, are grateful to everyone who submitted a story this year and to everyone who has helped bring the project so far — and excited to present this book to mystery fans next spring! 

From the original call for submissions: “Safe at home — that feeling when you’re in your living room, your team’s stadium, your family’s Sunday dinner. But even here, in this safest of places, sometimes CRIME HITS HOME. What happens then?” 

"What was most exciting about the stories we received for the contest ... was the variety of different ways the writers interpreted home.” -SJ Rozan 

CRIME HITS HOME STORIES:

Naomi Hirahara, “Grand Garden” 

* David Bart, “The World’s Oldest Living Detective” 

Sara Paretsky, “Little House in the Big Woods” 

* Susan Breen, “Banana Island” 

Gary Phillips, “Flip-top” 

* Neil Plakcy, “Oyster Creek” 

Renee James, “Stalking Adolf” 

* Connie Johnson Hambley, “Currents” 

Gabino Iglesias, “What They Knew” 

* Alexandra Jamison, “Haunted Home on the Range” 

Walter Mosley, “Not Exit” 

* Tori Eldridge, “Missing on Kaua’i” 

Carolyn Hart, “Calling Mr. Smith” 

* G. Miki Hayden, “Forever Unconquered” 

Jonathan Santlofer, “Private Dancer” 

* Jonathan Stone, “The Relentless Flow of the Amazon” 

Ovidia Yu, “Live Pawns” 

* Bonnie Hearn Hill, “The Happy Birthday Song” 

* Steve Liskow, “Jack in the Box” 

SJ Rozan, “Playing for Keeps” 

* indicates stories chosen from anonymous submissions

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Sisters in Crime New England at the Newburyport Literary Festival!

Make a Mystery with Sisters in Crime New England Authors


 
​Join Sisters in Crime New England authors Richard Cass, Lorraine Sharma Nelson, Gerald Elias, and Connie Johnson Hambley as they build a story with YOUR clues while pulling back the curtain on the writing process! You’ll provide names, setting, motives, weapon and more. From each suggestion, the authors will talk about what goes in to each decision and how one small detail can alter an entire story. Join us for this interactive and fast-paced improv with authors and enjoy the fun as they create a brand new murder mystery on the spot!

Go to: https://newburyportliteraryfestival.org/ to learn more about registration for this FREE event.
 




 

Saturday, December 1, 2018

SHORT STORY PUBLISHED IN MYSTERY WEEKLY MAGAZINE!

December 2018 Mystery Weekly Magazine featuring
"The Brew" by Connie Johnson Hambley
Christmas came early for me this year! I'm thrilled my short story, "The Brew," was published in December's Mystery Weekly Magazine!

Here's a writer's truth. "The Brew" is one of my favorite short stories that I've written. It was inspired by a local brew pub in nearby Ipswich, Massachusetts and named after a rock band my sons' 
friends started in high school that gained a decent following. I know local folk will recognize both the place and the band. Sitting at the brew pub's bar made from a single plank of a historic local tree* and sipping a pint of amazing oatmeal stout, I wondered about a boy who never left his small hometown and another who fled after high school to follow his dreams. What if they were best friends? What if one did the other wrong? What if they loved the same girl?

So, I wrote the story and submitted it to an anthology I have been published in before**. I waited and waited for news, then...it was rejected! I've received other rejections for other works--what writer hasn't? But this rejection smarted. Instead of shrinking back into the dark and writing (which is actually a very healthy response for a writer!) I did something I have never done before...I submitted the story to a magazine.

And viola! The cover says it all! A touch of sweetness is added that circulation/readership of Mystery Weekly is larger than that of the anthology! Anger has its upsides. Maybe there's a story there, too?

So, at a hand-hewn wooden bar surrounded by hipsters and familiar faces, my story sparked to life.

In “The Brew," a rock star visits his home town, while his best friend teeters on the edges of sobriety and murder.

In this issue, I share the pages with:

Tom Mead’s “Invisible Death” is a gothic mystery in the golden-age tradition, inspired by the work of John Dickson Carr. It features a seemingly impossible locked-room murder in a snowbound country house.

In “Mrs. Bott’s Finest Christmas” by Michael Thomas Smith, a bar patron recounts a chance meeting with a notorious criminal who performed an act of kindness that didn't go as he expected.

“Outrace The Snowfall” by Dave Creek provides a hated billionaire, a snowed-in mountaintop mansion, and a fresh supply of poison—what could go wrong?

In “Nice Grammar, That Guy” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Susan and Allen Horton seem the perfect couple, which makes Susan’s bludgeoning death at the hands of a homeless man outside a Providence restaurant after a 10th anniversary dinner all the more shocking.

“Rolls Upon Prank” by Jeff Somers—even in sleepy backyards, guarded by the timid and the well-fed, murders can be committed ... and upset the balance of nature.

Try out your own sleuthing skills with “New Year’s Thieve”—a You-Solve-It By Laird Long.


The magazine is also available on digital newsstands and Kindle Newsstands subscriptions: https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Weekly-Magazine/dp/B01N4NJL91

Give yourself or a friend a gift of a one year subscription. Click through for more information. http://www.mysteryweekly.com/subscribe.asp

NEW! Enjoy Mystery Weekly FREE at over 30,000+ libraries and schools worldwide through their online system called Flipster. Ask your librarian for details!


Want to read "The Brew"? Click on one of the URLs above! 


Snow, Snow, Snow, Murder! Mystery Weekly Magazine Dec 2018 in Print @ Amazon—Digital and NEW Mobile @ http://mysteryweekly.com/ & Kindle Newsstand (free 30 day trials) #MYSTERY


http://facebook.com/mysteryweekly

* For you tree lovers out there, the tree had become diseased and was at risk for falling on the neighboring houses. The good news is that much of it lives on as furniture...and bar tops.

** Serendipitously, Andrew Welsh-Higgins and I share the pages in Best Crime Stories of New England: Snowbound.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Gotta Love That Writing Research

Writers of all stripes know the fine line between hyperbole and solid facts. (No, I'm not going to go there in this post.) From writing a term paper in high school to creating good fiction, writers need to know the solid facts before they put their spin into the words.


To write great suspense, authors know they have to play with their readers' trust. Readers must believe we are writing about the world just outside of their door, one they could walk into at any moment if they were as brave or as foolish as our main characters. I often say that we cajole readers into walking the plank with us, and at a certain point we pull the plank away, leaving them suspended in our fictional bubble. If we've done our research right, time will slip away and the only reality readers will experience will be the one we've recreated. 

Great research can structure an entire story. Whole plots of traditional mysteries with amateur sleuths or crime procedurals hang on sound investigative techniques. The sleuth or cop may decide to throw protocol out the window, but the reader and the character know what the price could be for going rogue. 

Other research can be on a point that might seem inconsequential. Maybe the character enjoyed a meal at a Five Star restaurant. The meal is not the point, but the texture added to the story of describing a mouth-watering Indian curry adds to the reader's enjoyment while deepening the understanding of who our character is.

I've often heard authors talk about hours spent researching a certain point only to have the result be a sentence or two of text or dialog. Details matter when it comes to getting and keeping our readers' trust. After our bond is sealed, our story grows in our readers' imaginations.

So, when my WIP needed an American oligarch enjoying a scotch, what kind of scotch would he imbibe? What booze would he stock in the bar of his mega yacht? Oh, yes. You want to know. I gotta say, this is the kind of research I love.

And a bottle of Macallan won. Never heard of it? Me neither, but when I learned that a bottle of 1946 Macallan sold at auction for $460,000, I knew I had a winner. As for stocking the bar? First off, only a Luddite would call crystal bottles of fine spirits booze. Secondly, the showier the better, and a swarovski crystal-encrusted bottle of Oval vodka (at about $6K per bottle) would definitely be on the shelf.

As for making sure I fully understood the difference between my usual plonk and a finer quality spirit? Hmm. Maybe this is where I let your imagination roam.


Friday, October 5, 2018

Author Panel: The Modern Heroine

What makes a modern heroine? 

Sisters in Crime members and panelists Toni L.P. Kelner, Susan Oleksiw, and Connie Johnson Hambley will discuss how women authors are redefining the genre by creating strong women characters. in Crime authors talk about their female protagonists through the prism of modern expectations of femininity and the concept of heroism. 


  • October 10, 2018  at 7 PM
  • Lawrence Library, 15 Main Street, Pepperell, MA  01463.


Toni L.P. Kelner (a.k.a. Leigh Perry): This Agatha award winner is two authors in one. As Leigh Perry, she writes the Family Skeleton series featuring a walking talking skeleton named Sid. The series debuted with A SKELETON IN THE FAMILY in September 2013, and the fifth, THE SKELETON TAKES MAKES A FRIEND, is due out in November. As Toni L.P. Kelner, she's the author of the eight Laura Fleming mysteries and the three books in the "Where are they now?" series (all available as ebooks and audio downloads). She also co-edited seven urban fantasy anthologies with New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris. In between novels and short stories, she sneaks in short stories about pirates, PIs, zombies, Sherlock Holmes cosplayers, and demonic phone calls. By either name, she has lived just north of Boston for over 30 years, while maintaining the Southern accent earned by growing up in northern Florida and North Carolina. She is married to fellow author Stephen P. Kelner and has two daughters, one guinea pig, and an ever-increasing number of books.

Susan Oleksiw: has been writing since she was a student in the 1960s, but her first publication in the mystery field came in 1988, with the publication of A READER'S GUIDE TO THE CLASSIC BRITISH MYSTERY. She is the author of three series. The Pioneer Valley series follows Felicity O'Brien, who has just inherited her parents' farm in rural Massachusetts. In the first book, BELOW THE TREE LINE (2018), Felicity discovers a woman's body in her woods, and copes with a stranger digging secretly on her land. The Mellingham series features Chief of Police Joe Silva, who appears in five books. In the Anita Ray series an Indian American photographer investigates murder at a resort in South India. Susan was a co-founder of Level Best Books, which publishes an annual anthology of crime fiction, and a co-founder of The Larcom Press and The Larcom Review.

Connie Johnson Hambley: grew up on a small dairy farm just north of New York City. When she was a young girl, an arsonist burned her family's barn to the ground. From that experience grew the novels that have become THE CHARITY, THE TROUBLES, and THE WAKE. THE TROUBLES, the second book in the series and a story of terrorism and identity found, was published May 2015 and won Best Fiction at the EQUUS Film Festival in New York City. The third book in the trilogy, THE WAKE, was released in September 2017. Her short story, "Giving Voice," was published by Level Best Books in WINDWARD: Best New England Crime Stories in 2016, and "Black Ice" is included in SNOWBOUND, Level Best Book's 2017 anthology.

Friday, September 14, 2018

Light Shines on GOING DARK by Jolene Grace


I'm always excited to read a new author. I met Jolene at a Sisters in Crime event and was immediately drawn to her intense and clear manner. Learning she was a foreign correspondent before penning her new book didn't surprise me. The more I learned about her, the more interested I became in her book, GOING DARK. Read on. Get to know Jolene. I'll just bet if sacrificing all in a geopolitical thriller sparks your interest, you'll soon be lost between the covers of this terrific new book. -cjh

~~~

The idea of 'Going Dark' started to form in my mind as I spent nights working on the foreign desk at CBS. Those nights, I was alone in the entire studio, watching in coming video feed from our military forces stationed in Iraq. In 2006-07, the war was in full swing and we received daily updates on the progress and struggle people were facing during the war. The war zone wasn't too far off from our foreign correspondent team stationed in Iraq, reporting from there.

As I was sitting in my desk, I envisioned Amelia Sinclair (a foreign liaison in Going Dark) how hard and challenging must be to be separated from your family when your job takes you away from them, especially if you have young children. Sinclair ultimately sacrifices a stellar career when she finds out that she's unexpectedly pregnant and chooses to stay close to home by taking a desk job at the United Nations. In her mind, she can still do it all. However, her adventurous heart can't change and she's drawn into a cover op to send four U.S. journalists to Damascus, Syria, a country in the midst of a civil war, to interview the president.

Murphy Law's tips the scale and things quickly escalate when the four are kidnapped from their hotel room shorting after they arrive in the county. Amelia receives a suspicious e-mail with a video showing their kidnapping. Her boss, Harold Frost and her, don't have a plan in place to save them. Frost makes the decision to call Gabriel Jets, CIA's top officer, who's back in the States on a well-deserved break from the Middle-East.

When the White House learns four U.S. journalists have gone missing, they panic. President Delay's administration is a hundred days in and the country is divided by his election. Kidnapped Americans would spell trouble they can't afford at the moment. A Pakistani report links Sinclair to a terrorist cell suspected of the kidnapping. Sinclair's name is quickly escalated up the chain of command and her life is turned upside down on a dime.

When Jets and Amelia meet, Frost has been killed by an assassin and a sniper takes aim at Amelia. What is he supposed to do? He can't let her get killed, Sinclair holds answers to pressing questions, even she doesn't know it yet. Together they have to run to clear her name and find who's really behind the kidnapping plot if they want to bring the four alive.

In my debut novel 'Going Dark' I wanted to showcase the female strength, the love a mother posse to protect her child and empower women to pursue their dreams despite the obstacles presented to them in today's world.

'Going Dark' is now available in ebook and paperback on Amazon.

*

Jolene Grace was born in Eastern Europe in the 90s while the region
was undergoing a geopolitical makeover. She witnessed first hand the poverty and struggles of people around her that deeply affected her and left a life lasting impression. Those childhood memories find their way today in her written works.


During college, Jolene began writing professionally while pursuing a degree in journalism. Her interest in politics deepened and led her into a fulfilling career where she had the opportunity to cover state and national politics.

Jolene interned for CBS evening news, working on the foreign desk at night time. It was during that time the idea of ‘Going Dark’ took shape in her mind as she watched the unfiltered tapes trickled in from the front lines of the American/Iraq war.

Upon leaving the network, Jolene went on having a successful career as a digital manager for radio stations across the country. Later on, she settled down with her husband and kids and began to write full time.

For updates and previews of upcoming works by the author visit www.jolenegracebooks.com; find and follow her on Twitter:@theauthorjolene; subscribe to her newsletter for exclusives. 

 ***
  
GOING DARK: 

Gabriel Jets is the CIA’s top agent, a man with a reputation of getting the job done, no matter the price. On a rare visit back to the States, Jets is dispatched to collect a video depicting the kidnapping of four U.S. journalists working undercover in Damascus, Syria.

Meanwhile, the U.S. president and his chief of staff, Robert McKaine, are called to the Situation Room to receive a briefing. Damascus is rocked by a terrorist plot that killed twenty-five innocent people.

A link between the two events is quickly discovered, with evidence pointing to the involvement of another U.S. journalist, Amelia Sinclair, a prominent foreign correspondent, with direct ties to the missing.

While Jets hunts for the video, he crosses paths with Amelia. In a blink of an eye, his mission is compromised as he believes she is been set up to be the fall guy.

As the U.S. government closes in to arrest Sinclair, Jets alters his assignment to help clear her name and track down the powerful behind the ploy to draw in the country into an international scandal. 




Wednesday, July 25, 2018

EVENT: SISTERS IN CRIME AT BOOKSTOCK LITERARY FESTIVAL




July 27 - 29

On the Green
Woodstock, Vermont


Meet and greet your favorite mystery and thriller authors on the green in front of the Woodstock Inn! The lit fest starts on Friday with a full program of events through the weekend. Poets, essayists, journalists and, of course, fiction writers will mix, mingle and connect with readers.


Sisters in Crime New England will have a bevy of authors there. Stop by and load up on your late summer reading with a few signed books.



Author Schedule:
Friday:
12 - 2 Martha Folsom, Genie Parrish
2 - 4 Anne Macdonald

Saturday:
10 - 12 Connie Johnson Hambley
12 - 2 Sharon Yang
2 - 4 Leslie Wheeler

Sunday:
10-12 Martha Folsom, Katy Lee

12 - 2 Coralie Jensen


Friday, February 9, 2018

LAUNCHED: DEADLY SOLUTION by Keenan Powell

I "met" Keenan because we share the pages of SNOWBOUND: Best New England Crime Stories anthology published by Level Best. Her story, the Banshee of North Adams, struck a chord in my heart. Banshee is an Irish ghost, so I knew we shared an Irish connection. (Banshee was also the name of my first pony, but that's a story for another day.)

Level Best has expanded to publishing full length mysteries and I'm so thrilled that Keenan is among their first releases. It's a sign of success for both author and publisher to have quality on both sides of the publishing equation!

I know you'll love meeting Keenan and getting to know her stories.


Debut: Deadly Solution by Keenan Powell

Thanks for inviting me to Out of the Fog, Connie! I’m excited about the release of my debut, DEADLY SOLUTION, by Level Best on January 23, 2018 and the warm reception it is receiving.  

DEADLYSOLUTION a contemporary legal thriller set in Anchorage Alaska. The protagonist, Maeve Malloy, has recently opened a private criminal defense practice and is asked to take over a case of a homeless man accused of murder when the prior attorney commits suicide.

The book is the first in a series introducing Maeve and her investigator, Tom Sinclair. I was moved to write it when I trip across a little-known law, to wit: the medical examiner has the authority to declare the cause of death without doing an autopsy and to dispose of (cremate) the remains within seventy-two hours. So, who’s to say he’s right?

We often hear: “Write what you know.”  I, in fact, was a young female criminal defense attorney in private practice aided by one curmudgeon investigator who floated in and out of the office at will.  I write about what it’s like to be a female trial attorney in a man’s world, what it’s like to be in sole practice not knowing how you’re going to make next month’s rent, and what it’s like to believe desperately in your client’s case yet face the very strong possibility that justice will miscarry.





Less than a year after drinking sidelined her career as a public defender in Anchorage, Alaska, Maeve Malloy is asked to defend an Aleut Indian accused of beating another homeless man to death. With no witnesses to the crime and a client who claims to have no knowledge of the night of the murder due to a blackout, the case is stacked against them.

As Maeve works to maintain her sobriety, she and her investigator Tom Sinclair search for answers in homeless camps, roadside bars, and biker gang hangouts. When they uncover more than a few people with motives all their own for wanting the victim dead, they are determined to prove their client's innocence before he is sentenced to a life behind bars for a crime he swears he didn't commit.

When Maeve and Tom discover there may be a link to an unusually high number of deaths among the homeless community, the search is on for a killer hunting among the most vulnerable members of society.   

Find the book on Amazon 

About the author

Keenan Powell was born in Roswell, New Mexico, several years after certain out-of-towners visited. Her first artistic endeavor was drawing, which led to illustrating the original Dungeons and Dragons when still in high school.

A past winner of the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic grant, her publications include Criminal Law 101 in the June 2015 issue of The Writer magazine and several short stories. She writes the legal column, Ipso Facto, for the Guppies’ newsletter, First Draft, and blogs with the Mysteristas. Several of her short stories have been published in anthologies.

She lives, and practices law, in Anchorage, Alaska. When not writing or lawyering, she can be found riding her bike, hanging out with her Irish Wolfhound, studying the concert harp, or dinking around with oil paints.

Visit Keenan at: www.keenanpowellauthor.com