It was my plan to post a new blog yesterday but Jeff was hogging the computer. He was mumbling about line edits and cursing periodically, but mostly he seemed happy with his progress. Which is, I think, a good thing. Being dead, I am not such a good judge. Anyway, last week I introduced you to our synchronized swim coaches, […]
Where did I leave off? You will excuse me, but my memory is not so good any more now that I am dead. Anyway, if I am remembering, my cousin Iulia gathered us all in the kitchen to tell us of what she would daydream. We were very much surprised when she told us of her hope to become a
Jeff assigned me the responsibility to blog for him while he’s busy dealing with chapter business. He assured me that people would be interested in my experience as a contestant on Romania’s Got Talent, and perhaps he is correct, but so far it seems that he is not. Don’t tell him I said this, but Jeff is not correct about
We all know that in a mystery the most obvious suspect, the first “person of interest,” isn’t always the culprit. The same is true of pretty much every aspect of publishing. There’s a lot—and I mean a lot—of debate, acrimony, and bad information out there about what you can or should expect, or what you’ll be doing as an author
(Didn’t catch Part I? Read it first!) From the city of Rome, New York, came a strongly worded letter from a citizens’ group that said it wasn’t Upham who wrote the Pledge, but a clergyman named Francis Bellamy (sometimes called Frank) who used to preach in that part of the country! Margarette threw up her hands. Here was the Bellamy
I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands – one Nation indivisible – with liberty and justice for all. That’s the original version – by whom? It was a mystery for half a century until a young woman in Portsmouth, Virginia, solved it. At this moment in time when our country’s basic principles are
Every year a new board of directors for the chapter is voted in by Active members. The election ran from late November 19 to December 15, 2017, and the votes are in. The chapter president for 2018 is Jeff Markowitz (pictured), author of the award-winning black comedy Death and White Diamonds. In his ballot statement, Markowitz said, “Fifteen years ago, knowing
Within the historic valleys and state parks of New Jersey’s northernmost county lives an active public library system with a burgeoning community of aspiring writers and, even better, mystery fans. And when a community of mystery loving readers and writers asks for an opportunity to hone their craft, MWA-NY answers the call — no matter the distance. On Saturday, September
Sometimes genre fiction gets a bad rap for being “less than literary.” Nothing could be further from the truth. But, believe it or not, as popular as crime fiction is, it still retains a certain stigma to many readers. Award-winning author and Mystery Writers of America, New York member S.J. Rozan, will endeavor to correct this misconception at the Madison
Authors from the Mystery Writers of America, New York Chapter, will present four lectures covering the history of mystery and crime fiction at the Library of The Chathams in Chatham, N.J., throughout next month. These lectures will be part of the library’s Chatham Adult Lifeworks Learning (CALL) program, an adult continuing education series partially sponsored by Friends of the Library of The Chathams. Launched in
“But you’ve written and published five books,” my husband said. “Do you really need to go to another writers’ conference?” It was a fair question. I’ve been writing for years. I have a shelf full of how-to books covering every possible subject from poisons to punctuation. There are endless online sources and courses. Did I really need to hear “Show,
The MWA-NY Board is pleased to announce that the Leon B. Burstein/MWANY Scholarship for Mystery Writing is returning for a second year. The scholarship, which has been made possible by a donation from one of our members, is designed “to inspire aspiring mystery writers by offering financial support to writers who want to take a specific class, attend a conference, or
John Grisham is a believer in the Elevator Pitch. You know, the one where you get on a lift with an editor or agent and hook the unsuspecting soul with a summary of your story that makes the “This is my floor” ding coincide with the light bulb appearing over his or her head. Assuming we all might learn something from
A now a word from the Guest of Honor at our Revels on December 7. Click here for more information and to register. For years I’ve gotten into hot water with my peers and aspiring writers at “how to” conferences and workshops for my liberal use of an apparently taboo word: talent. It took me a while to figure out
Known for its top-tier expert panels, CrimeCONN 2016 is a true writers’ conference. This year’s conference takes place on October 15 at the Westport Library in Connecticut, and its theme will be “The Criminal Mind.” The event is co-sponsored by our chapter. The conference’s guest of honor will be Andrew Gross, best-selling author of nine thrillers (One Mile Under, Everything
