h h The Sisters in Crime Quarterly Vol. 27, No. 1 Sisters in Libraries Historical Research Crime Fiction in College Awards & Rewards Getting Facts Straight Rage Fantasies… Get a Clue inSinC Editor’s Note Molly Weston ..............3 Laura’s Letter The mission of Sisters in Crime is to promote the Laura DiSilverio.............4 professional development and advancement of women crime writers to achieve equality in the industry. Sisters in Libraries Laurie King & Zoë Eckaim . 5 Laura DiSilverio, President Catriona McPherson, Vice President Chapters......................9 Stephanie Pintoff, Secretary Julie Hennrikus, Publicity Finding & Using Research in Lori Roy, Treasurer Historical Mysteries Martha Reed, Chapter Liaison Eleanor Sullivan...........12 Sally Brewster, Bookstore Liaison Carolyn Dubiel, Library Liaison Crime in the College Classroom Barbara Fister, Monitoring Project/Authors Coalition William Edwards, PhD.....14 Sally Brewster, Bookstore Liaison Carolyn Dubiel, Library Liaison Awards and Rewards Frankie Bailey, At Large Margaret Maron........... 16 Robert Dugoni, At-Large Val McDermid, At-Large Nominations & Awards Hank Phillippi Ryan, Immediate Past President Gay Toltl Kinman..........17 Molly Weston, inSinC Editor Laurel Anderson, inSinC Proofreader Writing Contests .............17 Kaye Barley, inSinC Proofreader Gavin Faulkner, inSinC Proofreader Getting Facts Straight Sarah Glass, Web Maven/Social Media Leslie Budewitz ........... 18 Rage Fantasies and Beth Wasson, Executive Secretary Character Development PO Box 442124 Lawrence, KS 66044-2124 Katherine Ramsland, PhD . 19 Email: [email protected] Events & Happenings .........21 Phone: 785.842.1325 Fax: 785.856.6314 The Docket ..................22 ©2014 Sisters in Crime International Beth’s Bits Beth Wasson .............24 inSinc is the official publication of Sisters in Crime International and is published four times a year. • One-year dues are $40 for professional US and Canada writers and $35 for non-professionals (add $5 for other countries). Two-year dues are $80 and $70; lifetime, $500 and $350. Address and all other changes can be made by members on www.sistersincrime.org. If you do not use a computer or need a user name, please contact Beth Wasson at the address above. Information in inSinC is submitted or reprinted from sources listed in each article. Where required, permission to reprint has been granted and noted. SinC does not investigate each submission independently and articles in no way constitute an endorsement of products or services offered. No material may be reprinted without written permission from Sisters in Crime. Sisters in Crime appy spring! After the winter we’ve Past Presidents had, I think almost everyone will Sara Paretsky 1987-88 Nancy Pickard 1988-89 welcome that ol’ red robin, flowers, Margaret Maron 1989-90 and warm weather. I’m going to be Susan Dunlap 1990-91 more of a homebody this spring— Carolyn G. Hart 1991-92 P. M. Carlson 1992-93 my only conference will be Malice Linda Grant 1993-94 Domestic. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of SinC Barbara D’Amato 1994-95 Hmembers walking away with teapots in Bethesda and Elaine Raco Chase 1995-96 Annette Meyers 1996-97 getting the word on the Edgars from New York! Sue Henry 1997-98 Medora Sale 1998-99 I owe a huge apology to Laura Brennan who wrote the Barbara Burnett Smith 1999-00 inSinC. Claire Carmichael McNab 2000-01 article on pitching in the December issue of Eve K. Sandstrom 2001-02 I called her “Lauren” every time I saw her at Killer Kate Flora 2002-03 Nashville, and that translated into print in each instance of the article. Kate Grilley 2003-04 Patricia Sprinkle 2004-05 Fortunately, she doesn’t hold a grudge and she’ll be writing another column Libby Hellmann 2005-06 in the June issue. Rochelle Krich 2006-07 Roberta Isleib 2007-08 Once again, I’m excited about the current issue of inSinC. We’re fortunate to Judy Clemens 2008-09 Marcia Talley 2009-10 have so many gifted writers willing to share their experiences and their exper- Cathy Pickens 2010–11 tise. Laurie King offers great advice about working with libraries—and an Frankie Bailey 2011–12 idea that might well help individual authors as well as chapters. I met Eleanor Hank Phillippi Ryan 2012–13 Sullivan at Magna cum Murder in October. Can you believe it? She volunteered to write an article about how she does research for her historical mysteries. Deadline & Submissions Deadline for the June issue of inSinC is At the Cleveland Bouchercon, I met Bill Edwards at the Rock and Roll Hall April 15. Include name, email, mail- of Fame and he told me how he used crime fiction in his University of San ing address, and phone number with submissions. Send columns, articles, Francisco sociology classes. I immediately asked him to write an article, but high-res photos, ideas, praise, and story lost his card before I got home. Frankie Bailey helped me find him again, ideas via email to and I think the way he used crime fiction may well give you another way of Molly Weston looking at what you write. Email: [email protected] Phone: 919.362.1436 Speaking of different viewpoints, Margaret Maron explains the differences The Docket among major mystery awards—how the nominees and winners are chosen. To list your publications She also offers tips and suggestions. and award nominations, login to SistersinCrime.org Leslie Budewitz and Katherine Ramsland have been sharing their expertise in and look for “The Docket” under discerning columns in their fields for longer than I’ve been editing inSinC. “Members Only.” Fill in the information, Leslie’s legal articles and Katherine’s on psychology are not only helpful to one entry per publication. Information on the SinC website will be updated crime fiction writers but always interesting to readers. regularly and will be available to anyone under “Resources.” The Docket will You’ll notice that Beth’s Bits has been moved to the back page for easy refer- continue as an item in inSinC. ence. Items that are strictly SinC related are found here. Until next time—happy writing! — Molly Weston 3 inSinC March 2014 ¡ ¡ Dear Sisters and Misters, wouldn’t have experienced some of those firsts if it weren’t for the kind- t took some think- ness of strangers. Strange writers, ing to come up with Laura’s that is. Well, not that the writers a topic for this letter. Letter have to be strange as in weird, but… It’s the beginning of Oh, you know what I mean. 2014, so of course resolutions came to So no matter where you are on the mind. But we’ve all heard the same writing/publishing continuum, from old yada-yada about New Year’s thinking you might want to write a resolutions since Taft was in office novel to becoming a multi-pubbed, and, frankly, if we’re not motivated New York Times best-selling author, to write because we love what we’re why not commit to an act of kindness doing, no resolutions essay is going to (anonymous or not) towards another Imake a diff. So I dumped that topic. writer. Need ideas? Glad you asked. Then I thought about doing some- Buy a debut author’s book. thing related to goal setting, but that - Recommend a book you enjoyed felt stale, too. I’ve got writing goals - and most of you do, too; if you’d to friends and family; better yet, like to share yours, I’d be happy to buy it and give it to them. Offer two hours of baby sitting hear them, but anyone interested in Write a good review on Amazon, - - to your writing buddy who has “setting goals” can Google that term Goodreads, or any of the sites to squeeze in writing time around and come up with far more authori- where readers hang out. tative articles on it than I can pro- squalling kids. vide. Then, having spent time with Offer a blurb to an author who - Hook up (in the old-fashioned a group of fellow writers last week, just landed a contract. Don’t wait - sense, not the twenty-something a topic hit me: doing kindnesses for for them to ask. Offer. And do it. sense) with a writer new to your other writers. Suggest sharing a signing with a fave convention/conference and - When we’re first embarking on our new author if your name carries introduce him to three other writing careers, we hunger for those some clout. people. “firsts”: first request for a whole Write an email to an author Obviously, these ideas are the tip of manuscript, landing an agent, get- - explaining what you think she did the iceberg and range from virtually ting a contract, seeing the cover, brilliantly in her last book. no cost in time or money to moder- finding your book in a bookstore, ate cost. I’d love to hear more ideas doing a signing. We’re caught up in Turn that email into a blog and - if you want to share them on the our achievements and, sometimes, distribute it widely. listserv. The bottom line is, some- we’re more interested in what estab- times we enrich our lives most by Request that your library buy a lished writers can do for us by way of - gazing not at our navels or computer particular book. introductions and blurbs than what screens, but at others. Even if your we can do for other writers. That’s Re-tweet. act of kindness is anonymous, I guar- all very natural (not very commend- - antee your day—and maybe even able, perhaps, but human). When Post a positive review from a - your writing—will be better for it.