Upcoming Events – Sisters in Crime New York

Why Do You Want PR?

Date: March 18, 2026

Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Online (Zoom)

Mapping Author Goals to Publicity Actions

Why do you really want publicity for your book? Is it to sell books or to be read? Or maybe something else? Coverage from something like “The Today Show” may sound great, but sometimes being in the local paper can sell more copies. PR — like any form of marketing — should come down to goals. So what’s yours? For self-published or small press authors, sometimes publicity needs to attract an agent for the next book. Everybody’s reasons are different, so their approaches to PR should be too. Together we’ll help you articulate the reasons you want to promote your title and pinpoint easy steps to take accordingly.

Terena Bell, Book Publicist, Author. Photo courtesy, Terena Bell

Terena Bell is a book publicist and writer. She’s successfully secured clients coverage from “The Today Show,” NPR, Good Housekeeping, Book Riot, New Books Network, and others. Her debut short fiction collection, Tell Me What You See (Whiskey Tit, 2022), was named one of the “best books of the century (so far)” by New York Society Library and a Ms Magazine must-read. The title story was a New York Foundation for the Arts grant winner and another from the collection has been optioned to become a feature film.

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.)

Investigation, Protection, and Cybercrime with Douglas Rivers

Date: April 15, 2026

Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Online (Zoom)

Behind the Badge, the Battlefield, and the Boardroom: An Evening with Douglas Rivers

Step into the real world of investigation, protection, and cybercrime with Douglas Rivers. With over 20 years of experience spanning military intelligence, corporate security, and law enforcement, Douglas brings firsthand stories and insights that read like a thriller. He’s chased down cybercriminals, served in Afghanistan, and trained teams at top security companies like Symantec and Cylance. Now, he’s sharing how criminals think, how they get caught, and what writers need to know to make their mysteries pulse with authenticity. Whether you write cozies, thrillers, or espionage tales, you’ll walk away with details that can transform your fiction. Bring your notebook and your sharpest questions. This is a webinar you won’t want to miss.

Man in military uniform — Douglas Rivers

Douglas Rivers has over 20 years of experience in the security field in various roles, including physical security, investigations, executive protection, sales engineering, and technical product management. He graduated from the University of Michigan (B.A.) and the Army War College (M.S.) and holds both CISSP and CISA certifications.

He has previously led Technical Education teams and programs at Securonix, Cylance, and Symantec. Currently, Douglas is the Director of Training and Enablement at Zimperium, a mobile security company.

Alongside his work in Technical Enablement, Douglas is a Naval Reserve Officer (Information Warfare; Commander – O5) and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2019 as Section Chief, CJ6 Plans and Projects, and as Executive Officer of a Joint NATO Unit.

Douglas also serves as a Macomb County Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to a cybercrime unit responsible for investigating technology-related criminal activity and raising security awareness about online threats and internet scams. In his rare spare time, he enjoys photography. His website can be found at www.wildgatecreative.com.

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.)

QueryFest 2026

Date: May 20, 2026

Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Online (Zoom)

Get a Critique of Your Query Letter from an Industry Pro

QueryFest is a SinC-NY/Tri-State member benefit that allows you to receive a firsthand critique of your query letter from publishing editors and literary agents (the “panelists”). This is not a pitching session, but an opportunity to get their pointers on how to shore up your query so it has the best chance of success.

You’ll get more details on how to participate (QueryFest is limited to the first twelve people who sign up) via email in March.

Find the zoom link for the event here: https://nysinc.org/meeting-zoom-link/ (Link is password protected. Access with your NY Tri-state SinC Chapter Members Only password.)

The names of the editors and agents will not be shared in advance. Remember, this is a query critique session, not a pitching session.

This event will be hosted by Dawn M. Barclay, Author/Editor.

Summer Party

Date: June 10, 2026

Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: TBD

Join your NY Tri-State SinC sibs for the end of year shindig

Members, details about our end-of-year celebration will be sent to your inboxes this Spring. We’re looking at various places to host, and we’ll get you information on that as soon as possible.