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!

Lina Zeldovich’s short story “Love Is a Strange Thing” just won an honorable mention in the Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Award.  It was submitted in the Romance category, though she swears there’s a juicy death in it, too.

Congratulations, Lina, and we look forward to hearing more good news about these characters!

Malice Domestic is having its 22nd annual conference to discuss and celebrate mysteries from April 30th to May 2nd, 2010.  We’re thrilled that 3 of our local/recently-local Sisters have been nominated for Agatha Awards, which will be announced and presented at the event’s banquet.

Elizabeth Zelvin’s “Death Will Trim Your Tree” (Wolfmont Press) has been nominated for best Short Story and can be read at her site.  Meredith Cole’s novel POSED FOR DEATH (St. Martin’s Minotaur) and Stefanie Pintoff’s novel IN THE SHADOW OF GOTHAM (Minotaur Books) have both been nominated for Best First Novel.

All conference attendees are eligible to vote, and a complete list of Agatha nominees is here.

Many congratulations and best of luck to all!

The theme of the evening is International Night, and any crime fiction you’ve written with an international setting or topic is eligible. If you’d like to join your local Sisters on stage, please submit your excerpted work of between 6 to 8 minutes (around 1500 words) to member Lina (underscore) Zeldovich (at) yahoo (dot) com. Final editorial selections will be the responsibility of Michael Mejias of Writers House, who organizes and curates the evenings. We hope that this will be a successful program, and only the beginning of more such opportunities for our members.

Add your name to Jack Kerouac’s and the other incredible authors who’ve read there, by submitting to Lina by Friday, February 20th for consideration!

With sadness, we report that chapter member Winifred Seery of Glastonbury, Connecticut passed away on January 29th at the age of 75.   Her obituary with online guestbook is posted at the Hartford Courant.

We celebrate her wonderful contributions to our community as a writer and Sister, and wish her family all the best.

Between this free program and our concurrent chapter meeting on the Craigslist killer, local Sisters have the darker side of Valentine’s Day covered!

Image site here.

On Tuesday, December 8th, we kick it off at 6pm at the kitschy and delish Cowgirl restaurant.  All the details are posted on the Chapter Meetings page. We need final counts by Friday, December 4th, so polish up your spurs and RSVP for holiday festivity with your Sisters!

Publishers Weekly is spearheading the first of this annual event as an opportunity to celebrate bookselling and the vibrant culture of bookstores. No matter your favorite independent nook or chain, stop by this Sunday and share the love!

We anticipate 2-hour slots per author, and we’re also requesting a contribution of $20 to help defray the cost of the booth.  If you’d like to participate, please e-mail clare2e (at) me (dot) com with your time of day preferences and how many titles you’d wish to display.

The deadline to sign up is August 21st, but early notification is much appreciated and we expect the slots to fill quickly.  See you at the festival!