And what a meeting it is!  To welcome you back from the summer, when publishing slows down, super agent Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management tells you what agents wish you knew.

Janet Reid specializes in compelling fiction, particularly crime fiction, and narrative non-fiction.  She’s always on the lookout for fabulous projects. Her publishing background includes fifteen years in book publicity with clients both famous and infamous. In her spare hours she drinks scotch and stalks Jack Reacher.

She is actively looking for projects that show mastery of craft and originality.  Recent sales include Even by Andrew Grant (Minotaur); The Breach by Patrick Lee (Harper:  forthcoming); Chasing Smoke by Bill Cameron (Bleak House); All Roads Lead Me Back to You by Kennedy Foster (Pocket); The Eternal Prison by Jeff Somers (Orbit); First Contact by Evan Mandery (Harper:  forthcoming 2010); Siesta Lane by Amy Minato (Skyhorse); Declarations of a Dinosaur by Dr. Lucy Hornstein (Kaplan); The Ephailtes Affair by Gary Corby (Minotaur; forthcoming); Blue Knight, White Cross by Colin Campbell (Severn House); The Little Book of Curses and Maledictions for Everyday Use by DawnRae Downton (Skyhorse:  2009).

Says Janet on her site: “I’m particularly looking for narrative non-fiction; history; current events. I’m also actively looking for high-concept thrillers. Just FYI, I do not consider books that deal with assassinating the US President as a major theme. PLEASE NOTE:  I am NOT accepting queries between 8/1/11 and 9/30/11.  Please wait to query until 10/1/11.”

As usual:
Meet and Greet 6:00 p.m.
Program 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.
Muhlenberg Branch NYPL, 3rd Floor
209 W. 23rd St. NYC (near 7th Ave.)
Optional dinner follows.

Date: Saturday, June 4, 2011
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Tab: $100, paid by check in advance.
No extra charge for ammunition or targets!
Location: Westside Pistol and Rifle Range, 20 West 20th Street
Private Event. Attendance limited–first come, first served

To RSVP for this event or if you have other questions, please contact EW Count at: cop(underscore)talk{at}yahoo-dot-com. She’ll give you the name/address to mail your check to the instructor.

There is also an advance mandatory criminal background check which must be submitted online. Because of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, submit your information no later than Thursday, May 26th, to: http://www.westsidepistolrange.com/registration.php
In the last field, GROUP LEADER, please paste in: nratraininginnyc-at-yahoo[dot]com

See you at the range!

The Agatha Award nominations have been announced for the upcoming Malice Domestic convention, to be held from April 29th to May 1st of this year, and two of our local Sisters are on the rolls!

Avery Aames has been nominated in the Best First Novel category for THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE, and Elizabeth Zelvin was nominated in the Best Short Story category for “The Green Cross” which appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

As always, there’s terrific company and competition among the wonderful nominees, but we’re delighted and proud to have two local Sisters recognized in this special way, and very good luck to you both!

This Tuesday, Jan. 18th, the SinC listserv will host two representatives from Bowker, the company that conducted SinC’s groundbreaking Mystery Book Buyer Study. They will be available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time to answer members’ questions about the study and how writers can use the information to better target their marketing efforts. The full survey report is available through the SinC national website.

Any SinC member not already on the listserv can join by sending an e-mail to sistersincrime-subscribe@yahoogroups.com with his or her full name in the body of the message. It’s perfectly all right to join the list for the Tuesday session and unsubscribe afterward, although, of course, we think all SinC members can benefit from being on the list.

Also, see you local Sisters at the library on Thursday for what promises to be another terrific meeting with veteran literary agent Victoria Skurnick!

On Thursday, September 23rd, our chapter meeting’s speaker will be forensic profiler Dr. Kostas Katsavdakis.  Dr. Forensic is a psychology professor and consultant who’s going to highlight common myths and mistakes about the pathology of violent criminals.  Additionally, he’ll focus on why what we may think we know about male criminal behavior and motivation is dead wrong when dealing with the female of the species.

Chapter meetings at the Muhlenberg Library are open to the public, and we warmly invite you to come and to bring guests.  See logistical details at the 2010 Chapter Meetings link.

To learn more about our upcoming participation in the Brooklyn Book Festival and the Astoria/LIC International Film Festival, visit our brand-new Special Events page, via the link or the menu item on the right sidebar, and save-those-dates!

Chris Roerden, award-winning author and manuscript editor, is giving us a workshop on Tuesday, May 25th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, here in NYC!  The Writer’s Voice will be a 2-hour, interactive seminar designed for new writers and veterans alike, examining what that “fresh, new voice” is that agents and editors keep demanding, and providing hands-on practice in finding, or refining, your own.  This workshop requires advance registration and payment, as seating is limited.  The cost is $20 for chapter members, and $25 for non-members.  Please see more details about the speaker, venue, and how to register at our Chapter Meetings page from the sidebar.

You may have one or more of Chris’s writing books on your shelves already, so don’t miss this chance to benefit from up-close and in-depth instruction right from the horse’s mouth- er- publishing professional’s voice!