Hosted by Sisters in Crime NY Tri-State Chapter
Saturday, January 10, 2026
2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
The Daffodil Classroom, Pier 57 – NYC 25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Free & Open to the Public (bring your friends!)
Ever wanted to write a mystery but didn’t know how, or where, to start?
We’ve got you.
Join us for an energizing, supportive, and idea-sparking afternoon of writing and connection with the Sisters in Crime NY Tri-State Chapter. Whether you’re plotting your fifth book or thinking “I’ve always wanted to try this,” this event is for you.
What You’ll Get Out of It:
- A hands-on, 60-minute workshop to help you start your story with prompts, structure, and insider tips from published mystery authors
- A live, 90-minute guided writing session (with optional sharing) and Q&A moments woven throughout
- A welcoming, judgment-free community of mystery lovers and writers cheering you on
- A creative kickstart that just might be the beginning of your next big story
No pressure. No critique circles. No gatekeeping. Just time, space, and guidance to finally begin or begin again.
You’ll walk out with new pages, new ideas, and maybe even new writer friends.
This event is open to the public and perfect for:
- Writers looking for a reset or boost
- First-timers who want a low-stress, high-support environment
- Readers who’ve always wanted to write but weren’t sure where to start
- Crime fiction fans curious about the craft
We believe stories build community, and the best writing happens when you’re supported. So come as you are, bring a notebook or laptop, and let’s write together.
Your story’s waiting. Let’s get it started.
Hosted by Izolda Trakhtenberg*
President, Sisters in Crime NY Tri-State Chapter
*For Pier 57’s purposes, but really, it’s the whole Board hosting.
Here’s a map of Pier 57.
The date and time of our holiday shindig are set!
Location and other details are in the Members Only area.
But we can tell you, there will be a fun book swap. Bring your book and give it as a surprise gift to another member (we’re going to have a fun way of choosing who gets whose book). Then, they’ll give the book they brought to another member.
If you don’t yet have a published book, that’s totally cool. Bring a copy of one of your favorite mysteries from when you were a kid (Feel free to make it a used copy or a well-loved one you already own).
More details in the Members Only area soon.
Cozy in the City
Because sometimes the deadliest secrets hide in plain sight on the busiest streets
Elizabeth Kerri Mahon Hosts a Panel on Cozy Mysteries Set in Urban Areas
Panelists:
- Theresa Varela – https://www.theresavarela.com/
-
Ellen Byron – https://www.ellenbyron.com/
- Cathi Stoler – http://www.cathistoler.com/
- Lori Robbins – http://www.lorirobbins.com/
Discover how to transplant the beloved cozy mystery formula into urban landscapes without losing its intimate charm. Writers will learn techniques for creating tight-knit communities within bustling cityscapes, crafting believable amateur sleuths in metropolitan settings, and maintaining cozy sensibilities despite big-city backdrops. Our panelists will share practical strategies for building neighborhood enclaves, balancing urban realism with cozy comfort levels, and using city settings as natural gathering spots for clues and community gossip. Walk away with insider secrets for ensuring your detective’s nosiness feels charming rather than implausible in the concrete jungle.
Find the zoom link here: https://nysinc.org/meeting-zoom-link/ (Link is password protected. Access with your NY Tri-State SinC Chapter Members Only password.)
From the 911 Caller to the Cold Case
Update: We will be at Booth 234 from 10am to 6pm (See the map below to find our booth). Drop by and meet our author members. Find exciting new books.
Also, SpeakEasy is partnering with the festival to take donations of books that don’t sell. If you’re a member and are planning to be there to sell books at the NYSinC booth, we have just a few slots left. If you’re a NYSinC member and want to sell your books, please see the form in your email dated August 29th.
Here’s more info directly from the festival.
The festival will open promptly at 10:00 am and close at 6:00 pm.
If you would like to donate your books at the end of the day, House of Speakeasy is partnering with us to accept books that they will then distribute free in under-resourced communities. They will be located at the Johnson Street end of the Festival with a visible truck, where books may be brought at the end of the day.
How to Stand Out and Get Booked as a Podcast Guest
Come to the September 17th meeting for a workshop on how to get yourself booked as a podcast guest. Find the zoom link here: https://nysinc.org/meeting-zoom-link/. Please note that it’s password-protected, and it’s the same password as our Members Only page. We hope to see you there. Workshop facilitator is Izolda Trakhtenberg, podcast producer and host of the Your Creative Mind Podcast.
What you’ll learn:
- How to find the right podcasts to pitch
- The components of a successful pitch
- Who to talk about being a guest on a podcast and how to find that person
- What you need in your podcast guest media kit to get yourself booked on shows
And much more because if you want to reach more readers, podcasts are the way to go.
Get it straight from podcast pro, Izolda Trakhtenberg, host of the Your Creative Mind Podcast.
This event is open to all chapter members. If you want to join the chapter, please do so here.
Members, details about our end-of-year celebration will be sent to your inboxes this Spring. We will be meeting in our usual spot!
Join us for QueryFest 5, where agents and editors will review your query letters and give you tips on how to bulletproof them for the best chance at receiving a contract.
***Please note, we already have a waitlist for this event. All members are welcome to join us for the brief panel that will precede the breakout session.
You’ve written your book and gotten it published. Now what?
Self-marketing isn’t just for indie authors. Traditionally published authors also need to market their books. In this presentation, Kelly will talk about everything from branding to direct advertising to building your newsletter list. Come with questions. Leave armed with new tactics for selling your books.
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning and bestselling author of four mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries (contemporary suspense); The Pet Detective Mysteries (middle grade); The Fiona Figg Mysteries (historical cozies); and her new series The Detection Club Mysteries (historical mystery). In three years, she built her newsletter list up to 300K and actively markets both her indie and traditionally published books.
Currently, Kelly is Immediate Past President of Sisters in Crime, and incoming programming coordinator for SinC Guppies.
Kelly is Distinguished Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. To learn more about Kelly and her books, go to www.kellyoliverbooks.com.
Have you ever been interested in writing a mystery for the stage? Are you working on the next blockbuster thriller? If you are writing a script, have written a script, or simply script-curious, join us for TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF SCRIPTWRITING. We will be discussing:
- Differences between writing plays, screenplays and fiction
- How mastering dramatic structure and dialogue can help you to improve your fiction
- Opportunities for playwrights and screenwriters
Our panel will feature Lee Matthew Goldberg, Gary Earl Ross, Izolda Trakhtenberg, and will be moderated by Nina Mansfield.
Lee Matthew Goldberg is the Anthony, Lefty, and Prix du Polar nominated author of fourteen novels including THE ANCESTOR and THE MENTOR, and THE GREAT GIMMELMANS along with his five-book DESIRE CARD series. His YA series RUNAWAY TRAIN is currently with actress Raegan Revord from Young Sheldon attached to develop his original written pilot. MILES IN TIME will be released in 2025. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, he’s been published in multiple languages and his writing has also appeared as a contributor in CrimeReads, Pipeline Artists, LitHub, Chicago Quarterly Review, Electric Literature, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Jewish Book Council, The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Mystery Tribune, The Nerd Daily, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Maudlin House and others. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City. Follow him at LeeMatthewGoldberg.com
Playwright, novelist, and audiobook narrator, Gary Earl Ross is a retired UBuffalo professor. His books include Wheel of Desire (2000), Shimmerville (2002), Beneath the Ice (2018), Blackbird Rising (2009), and the Gideon Rimes mysteries Nickel City Blues (2017), Nickel City Crossfire (2020), Nickel City Storm Warning (2021), Nickel City Naked Lady (2022), and Nickel City Monsters (2024). His staged or scheduled plays include Sleepwalker: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2002), Matter of Intent (2005, winner of the MWA Edgar Award), The Best Woman (2007), Picture Perfect (2007), Murder Squared (2010), The Scavenger’s Daughter (2012), The Guns of Christmas (2014), The Mark of Cain (2016), The Trial of Trayvon Martin (2017), Stoker’s Guest (2022), Split Wit (2023), and A Length of Chain (2025). Among his other honors are three Emanuel Fried Best New Play Awards, a LIFT Fiction Fellowship, two ASI/DEC Fiction grants, and a Saltonstall Foundation Playwriting Fellowship. A member of the Just Buffalo Literary Center, the Dramatist Guild, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers of Color, Private Eye Writers of America, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Mystery Writers of America, Ross lives in Buffalo, nicknamed Nickel City for the bison head five-cent piece.
Izolda Trakhtenberg is a playwright, author, musician, and host of The Creative Solutions Podcast. Born in Moldova and raised in Michigan, she worked at NASA and performed as a professional musician in Washington, DC. Now based in Brooklyn with her husband and three cats, Izolda writes novels, including Die by the Sword, and plays such as Listen! and A Slice of Democracy, the latter of which was produced at the Nomad Theatre Festival. She founded the Vegan Writers of NYC, whose anthology In a New York Minute was released in 2023. She’s currently writing a musical. Learn more at IzoldaTAuthor.com.
Nina Mansfield is a Connecticut based author and playwright. Her short mystery fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies and various publications including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Her plays have had over 100 productions throughout the world. Antigone: 3021, her futuristic adaptation of the Ancient Greek classic, recently enjoyed productions in England, Australia and throughout the United States and is available through Stage Partners. Her plays are also published by Smith & Kraus, YouthPLAYS, Original Works Publishing and One Act Play Depot. Her first and only novel, Swimming Alone, a YA Mystery was originally published in 2015. Nina is a member of MWA, SCWBI, ITW, The Dramatists Guild and co-President of the NY/Tri-State Chapter of Sisters in Crime.