Monday, July 31, 2017

SMFS Members News— JULY 2017

The members below reported their publishing successes this month: 

Melissa H. Blaine, “The Devil's Standable”  in the anthology, Day of the Dark: Stories of Eclipse, (Editor Kaye George) Wildside Press. (July 2017).

Michael Bracken, “Last Good Day” at Tough (July 24, 2017); “Smoked” in Noir at the Salad Bar: Culinary Tales With A Bite, Level Best Books, (July 2017); “Long-Distance Love” in True Story (July 2017); and “Beach Body” and “Three’s A Crowd” in True Confessions (July 2017). 

Craig Faustus Buck, “Honeymoon Sweet” at Trigger Warning: Short Fiction With Pictures: Issue 10 (July 2017). The author notes that his Macavity Award winning story was illustrated with original artwork by John Skewes. A signed copy of the illustration was provided to the author as that is done with all published by the site.

Larry W. Chavis, “On The Hook: Mystery Short Story” at Kings River Life Magazine (July 22, 2017).

Lauryn Christopher, “Lemonade and Larceny” in Fiction River: Editor's Choice: Volume 23, WMG Publishing (June 30, 2017) and “Backstage Pass” in the Crimes, Capers, and Rule-Breakers bundle (July 2017).

Diana Deverell, “Con Prince of Copenhagen,” in the Crimes, Capers, and Rule-Breakers bundle (July 2017) as well as “Black Powder Boogie: Mystery Short Story” at Kings River Life Magazine (July 15, 2017 and “The Real and Recent Wars Behind My Fiction” in Mystery Readers Journal: Murder In Wartime: Volume 33, Issue No. 2, Summer 2017.

Peter DiChellis, “Darkness, Darkness” in Mystery Weekly (July 2017 Humor Issue) and “Hostile Plans” in Switchblade Magazine: Issue Two (July 2017) as well as “The All-Night Zombie Channel” at The Higgs Weldon comedy site (July 27, 2017).

Patricia Dusenbury, “Cold Turkey” at Flash Bang Mysteries: Summer 2017 Issue (July 2017).

Gail Farrelly, “For Pete’s Sake” at the Yonker’s Tribune, (July 5, 2017). Part Two appeared on July 12, 2017, with Part Three following on July 19, 2017, and the concluding Part Four on July 26, 2017.

John M. Floyd, “Ace in the Hole” at Flash Bang Mysteries: Summer 2017 Issue (July 2017) as well as “The Sandman” in Noir at the Salad Bar: Culinary Tales With A Bite, Level Best Books (July 2017) and “Mr. Unlucky” in the August 7, 2017 issue of  Woman’s World. John also reports he is in the June –Sept issue of The Strand Magazine with his story “Crow Mountain.”

Kaye George, “The Darkest Hour” in the anthology, Day of the Dark: Stories of Eclipse, (Editor Kaye George) Wildside Press. (July 2017).

Debra H. Goldstein, “A Golden Eclipse” in the anthology, Day of the Dark: Stories of Eclipse, (Editor Kaye George) Wildside Press. (July 2017).

John Lindermuth, The Tithing Herd, Sundown Press (July 2017).

Paul D. Marks, “Blood Moon” in the anthology, Day of the Dark: Stories of Eclipse, (Editor Kaye George) Wildside Press. (July 2017).

LD Masterson, “Picture Perfect” in the anthology, Day of the Dark: Stories of Eclipse, (Editor Kaye George) Wildside Press. (July 2017) as well as “Deadly Dinner” in the anthology,  Noir at the Salad Bar: Culinary Tales With A Bite, Level Best Books (July 2017).
 
Alan Orloff, “Togas and Toquesin the anthology,  Noir at the Salad Bar: Culinary Tales With A Bite, Level Best Books (July 2017).

Mary Reed, writing as Eric Reed, Ruined Stones, Poisoned Pen Press (July 2017).

Jude Roy, “Santa is Dead” at Flash Bang Mysteries: Summer 2017 Issue (July 2017).

Jacqueline Seewald, “Morgan’s Mountain” in Hypnos: Volume 6: Issue 2: Summer 2017 (July 2017).

Judy Penz Sheluk, “The Cycopaths: Mystery Short Story” at Kings River Life Magazine (July 29, 2017).

Jennifer Soosar, Gary Deserves Reward” at Flash Bang Mysteries: Summer 2017 Issue (July 2017).

Cynthia St-Pierre, “The Girl with the Mangled Breast” at Crimson Streets (July 23. 2017). 

Cheri Vause, “Black Monday” in the anthology, Day of the Dark: Stories of Eclipse, (Editor Kaye George) Wildside Press. (July 2017).

Friday, July 7, 2017

Guest Post: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Murder by SMFS Member Peter DiChellis

It has been awhile, but SMFS member Peter DiChellis is back today with some thoughts about humor in mysteries…

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Murder
By Peter DiChellis

I enjoy reading and writing mysteries peppered with humor. Counterintuitive as it might seem, fictional tales of appalling crimes and their life-crushing consequences are often enhanced by hoots and yuks from humor. How can that possibly be? For me at least, there are several reasons.
1. Humor provides breathing space, a touch of comic relief from the so-often dismal themes in mystery and crime stories. To paraphrase an old political saw, these stories ain’t beanbag. Humor can deliver a welcome break in the tension.
2. Humorous passages give camouflage for clues. This is your brain on humor: Giddy and giggly and distracted, but not focused on rational analysis. Could you overlook an important clue during a bout of head-shaking, eyeball-rolling chortling? Count on it.
3. Humor is just flat-out entertaining. Among the many splendid reasons to read a good mystery, or any engrossing fiction, is simply to enjoy an entertaining diversion. Humor amps up the entertainment.
4. Humor creates likeability. In real life, we tend to like and appreciate good-humored people who can make us laugh. Why wouldn’t we feel the same about fictional characters and stories?
5. Injections of humor might help a story stand out in a crowded field. By definition mystery and crime stories, like all genre fiction, typically incorporate common elements that readers have come to expect. Humor is one way to add a distinctive element that helps a story stand apart.
6. Humorous incidents can erect unusual and revealing obstacles for characters to overcome. Fictional detectives already endure wily suspects, unreliable witnesses, contaminated evidence, and other impediments to success. Frustrate them with some funny stuff too and see how they handle it.
7. Mysteries provide lots of creative opportunities for humor. The cast of characters, from detectives to sidekicks to suspects to witnesses, is rich with eccentric possibilities. Strange clues and weird circumstances abound. Settings range from seedy barrooms to stately mansions, from trailer parks to office towers.
Finally, I hope those who enjoy humorous mysteries will take a look at the July issue of Mystery Weekly, an extra-large humor edition. The issue includes my story (“Darkness, Darkness”) about a blind man who witnesses a murder and offers detectives a peculiar assortment of puzzling clues.



Peter DiChellis © 2017
 
Peter DiChellis concocts sinister and sometimes comedic tales for anthologies, ezines, and magazines. He is a member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society and an Active (published author) member of the Mystery Writers of America, Private Eye Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. For more, visit his site Murder and Fries at http://murderandfries.wordpress.com/

Saturday, July 1, 2017

SleuthSayers: Mags and Anthos

SleuthSayers: Mags and Anthos: by John M. Floyd The other day R.T. Lawton and I were e-chatting about the new issue of AHMM --this isn't the first time he and I ...

SMFS Members among 2017 Macavity Award Nominees

The Macavity Award is named for the “mystery cat” of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats). Each year The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends and supporters of MRI who all nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries in four categories. The winners will be announced at opening ceremonies at Bouchercon in Toronto, Thursday, October 12.


We have four members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society nominated this year in two categories.


In the category of  Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Novel:

Edith Maxwell for Delivering The Truth, Midnight Ink.


In the category of Best Short Story:

Craig Faustus Buck for Blank Shot” in Black Coffee, Darkhouse Books.

Paul D. Marks: Ghosts of Bunker Hill” in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Dec. 2016.

Art Taylor forParallel Play” in Chesapeake Crimes: Storm Warning, Wildside Press.


The full list of all the 2017 Macavity Award Nominees can be found on the website. Congrats and good luck to all the nominees and especially to those members of the SMFS!