Sisters In Crime NY

Monthly meetings are usually** held on 3rd Thursdays at the Muhlenberg Public Library in Manhattan, 209 W. 23rd Street, (near 7th Ave.)

We begin our meet-and-greet at 6pm, with chapter business and programs beginning by 6:30.  Concluding at 7:45pm, members who wish, and often our guests, adjourn for dinner together at a nearby restaurant. Unless noted otherwise, meetings are free, open to the public, and we cordially invite guests to attend!

September 24th, 2009: Pitching the Book

You’ve completed your manuscript, edited it a hundred times, and now
you’re ready for an agent, but how do you pitch? Literary agents Donna Bagdasarian of Publication Riot Group, Inc. and Josh Getzler of Writers House will give us the DO’s and DON’Ts and answer all your questions. Jump back into the SinC swing with this fun and informative meeting!

October 22nd, 2009: The Truth Behind Bars

Did you know 175 weddings were held at Rikers last year?  Stephen Morello, Deputy Commissioner of the NY City Dept. of Correction, will debunk pop-culture myths about incarceration and share the amazing, sometimes funny, truths about life on Rikers Island.

November 19th, 2009: Short Story Markets and Methods

Perhaps it’s our fast-paced world, or the way modern technology encourages communicating in brief, but there’s a revival in short fiction.  Many of us enjoy writing shorts as additional creative outlets, though now, we’re also using them as entrees to help sell our novels or as support for an existing series.  With that in mind, we’re hosting a panel to help define what takes a short submission from slush to stand-out.

Philip Cioffari teaches creative writing at William Paterson University. He has published a novel and a short-story collection and is also an award-winning film writer and director.  A former reporter for The Los Angeles Times, Jack Getze has authored two mystery novels and edits Spinetingler, an online short fiction magazine.

Our chapter experts will include member Anita Page who’s published numerous short stories, in print and online, most recently in the MWA anthology The Prosecution Rests, edited by Linda Fairstein, and the current holiday anthology The Gift of Murder.  Chapter member Terrie Farley Moran will appear in next year’s MWA anthology, edited by Charlaine Harris, and her story “Bright Star” was recognized in Otto Penzler’s Best American Mystery Stories of 2009. She will also be editing our chapter’s upcoming 2010 anthology.  Moderating this terrific panel will be our longtime officer and board member, herself a short story and novel author, Peggy Ehrhart.

December 8th, 2009: Holiday Party!

We’re having our party on a Tuesday night at the deliciously fun Cowgirl restaurant in NYC’s West Village! (Click link for directions and more venue info.)  The $35 prix-fixe menu includes a choice of 5 dinner entrees, dessert, and beverage.  The cash bar is optional, as is our gift exchange.  To participate in the annual Secret Santa swap, corral yourself a criminally cute gift worth $10 or less.

RSVPs are required, and payment by cash or check will be accepted at the door.  If you’re hankerin’ to attend– and why wouldn’t you be, pardner?– simply e-mail clare2e (- at -) me (- dot-) com or, alternatively, leave a voice mail at 646-620-8654.  Yee Ho!

January 21st, 2010: Open Mic Night

This is an encore of our popular program where members read snippets from any of their works, and everyone gets the chance to hear what our diverse chapter’s been doing. Practice public reading before your book tour or just sample a variety of terrific writing during this supportive and always-entertaining event.

We do time the readings (4 minutes is about 1000 words or less), and readers only ought to RSVP to clare2e – at – womenofmystery (dot) net or leave a message at 646-620-8654.  Hear you there!

February 18th, 2010: Craigslist and True Crime

Less than a year ago, people around the country were spellbound by the unfolding saga of the Craigslist killer, so-named during a week-long spree that saw three young women attacked and robbed in hotel rooms, one of them killed, after using the online site to arrange “erotic” services.

While former med student Philip Markoff awaits trial, we’ll hear about the wide-ranging investigation and arrest from Paul LaRosa, the man who co-wrote the book SEVEN DAYS OF RAGE: THE DEADLY SPREE OF THE CRAIGSLIST KILLER.  Not only will this veteran NY journalist and author tell us about the crimes, but also the process that authors go through to turn them into books.  Chapter member Kathleen Ryan will moderate, and we’ll also be giving away a copy of the book!

March 18th, 2010: Small Print to Big Screen

We all see movies based upon other written works, but how does that process unfold in real-life?  Our two guests know from personal experience. Philip Cioffari, a previous short story panelist, also happens to be the writer and director of LOVE IN THE AGE OF DION, an independent feature that’s already won a handful of honors at local film festivals.  Joining him is Tim McLoughlin, whose name may be also be familiar to you as an author and editor from Akashic Books’s celebrated Noir collections.  His novel of Brooklyn, HEART OF THE OLD COUNTRY, was adapted for film, and THE NARROWS was screened at last fall’s Brooklyn Book Festival.  Bring your popcorn, and we’ll focus on the joys and perils of transitioning one’s stories from small print to the big screen!

April 15th, 2010: Joan Q. Public-ity

Joan Schulhafer has worked as an in-house publicist for Avon, Bantam, Pocket Books, Silhouette, and Kensington.  Since opening her own agency, she’s worked with Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, Heather Graham, Ray Bradbury, Elizabeth George, J.A. Jance, Neil Gaiman, Laura Lippman, Tami Hoag, among other notable authors.  She’ll tell us how publisher’s campaigns are planned, what the goals and methods are, and how to think about promoting our own work in the innovative ways a pro publicist does.

May 25th, 2010: Workshop with Chris Roerden

Chris Roerden is the Agatha Award-winning author of DON’T MURDER YOUR MYSTERY and now, for all genres, DON’T SABOTAGE YOUR SUBMISSION.  At her website, you can sample her books and learn about her decades of experience editing fiction.  Based upon the voting of chapter members, as our May meeting, we’re delighted to announce that Chris will present a 2-hour, hands-on workshop about The Writer’s Voice:

Why are 90-95% of manuscripts rejected without being read? Why do most rejections say, “We’re looking for a fresh, new voice”? What is voice? How does it differ from style? Tone? And how do you get it? Enjoy group exercises that lead you to explore the elements of voice and expand your options in ways you haven’t considered before.

This special event will take place from 6 to 8pm in the private upstairs room of Pongsri Thai’s Chelsea location, just across 7th Ave. from our usual library location.  There will be a fee for this optional program, and we’ll announce that and how to register in advance as soon as we’ve confirmed the details, so save the date!

At the end of our programming year, we traditionally catch up on chapter business, report our progress both organizational and personal, and celebrate all of it with each other.  The venue and date and any additional cost will be announced once it’s confirmed.

** We may hold special events at other locations, and do schedule around holidays, as well as other popular organizations and conferences, so always check this page for exact dates and program information.  No meetings are held in July and August.

We’re always developing more great programs and topics, so if you have ideas for programs you’d love to see, please let us know!