SMFS list member Leigh Saunders reports that her science fiction/heist novel, Memoirs of a Synth: Gold Record, took 4th place in the 2024 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3) out of over 200 entries. The announcement from the SPSFC3 was made on X (Twitter). SMFS congratulates Leigh Sanders on her win.
SMFS list member Shannon Taft reports that her short
story, Dead Drop, appears in the On Spec Magazine #128, Vol 34, No 2 issue. The current issue is available here.
SMFS list members are published in the anthology, Noncorporeal
II. Published by Inkd Publishing, and
with the subtile description of an “Anthology of ghosts, haunts, and spirits”
the book is available at Amazon
and other vendors. The SMFS list
members that reported their presence in the book are:
Noreen Cedeno with “A Lonely Death.”
Aimee Kluck with “Haunting Henry.”
Beverle Graves Myers with “Tomorrow's Ghost.”
Amazon Description:
A spooky anthology with a wild mix of enjoyable short
stories from talented authors!
B. K. Wellman
Beverle Graves Myers
Simon J. Plant
Akis Linardos
John A Bukowski
Aimee Kluck
Kevin Hopson
Andrea L Staum
L.N. Hunter
C.A. Verstraete
Michele Cacano
Siena Buchanan
S. K. Arnette
Cate Moyle
N. M. Cedeño
Mark Beard
Madelyn Lopez
A.R.R. Ash
Kevin A Davis
Several SMFS list members
have published essays in the Mystery Readers Journal: Murder Takes a
Holiday, Volume 40, No. 2, Summer 2024. Published earlier this week by
Mystery Readers International, the read is available at the website. The SMFS list members that reported they
were published in the issue are:
Elizabeth Elwood with “Holiday Time? No Lazing in the
Sun for my Characters.”
J. R. Lindermuth with “A Detective Takes a Holiday.”
Josh
Pachter with “Murder Takes a Lot of Holidays.”
Website
Description:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLES
· The Odd Travel Note: John le Carré on
Mysteries Real and Fictional by Rona Bell
· Death on the Water by Beth Hankins
· Agatha Christie Rides the Rails by Bradley Friedman
AUTHOR! AUTHOR!
·
Please Proceed to Your Gate—To Begin
Your (Murderous) Journey by Cathy Ace
· Monkey Business Meets the Flying
Dutchman by Donna Andrews
· Travel Writer’s Revenge: A Novel Way
of “Booking” a Trip by Dawn M. Barclay
(D.M. Barr)
· Travel as Transition? Or Not? by Anne Louise Bannon
· Wanderlust by Kimberly Belle
·
How I Learned to Write More Than
Thirty Pages by Simon Brett
· When Art Imitates Life by Sally Carpenter
· On the Road Again by Taffy Cannon
· A Fatal Fan Fest by Maya Corrigan
· Too Many Deaths, Too Few Holidays by James R. Coggins
· Haunted Ofu by John Enright
· Holiday Time? No Lazing in the Sun for
My Characters by Elizabeth
Elwood
· Nero Does Nero by Cordelia Biddle and Steve
Zettler (aka Nero Blanc)
· Crossword: Nero Does Nero
· Sun, Sand… and Sleuthing by Kate Fellowes
· A Vacation at the Paris Exposition of
1900 by Dianne Freeman
· A Killer on Board by Jan Gangsei
· Murder on Vacation by Peter Heller
· Murder Takes a Holiday in Caper Cove by Elle Jauffret
· Mysteries Without Borders by Maria Hudgins
· An Academic Brat Settles Down and
Finds Her Paradise by Leslie Karst
· Vacations and Holidays by Gay Toltl Kinman
· A Detective Takes a Holiday by J. R. Lindermuth
· Hot Grudge Crimes by Larry and Rosemary Mild
· Never Go on Vacation with Miss Marple by Catherine Mack
· From Action Scene to Ocean Liner by Edward Marston/Conrad Allen
· A Golden Getaway with Raúl and Rita by Richie Narvaez
· Murder Takes a Honeymoon by Neil Plakcy
· Murder Takes a Lot of Holidays… by Josh Pachter
· Creating the Vacation from Hell: The
Origins of Devils Island by Midge Raymond
· How Is Anyone Still Alive? by Philipp Schott
·
Have Pen, Will Travel by Tom Straw
· Charlie Chan Takes a Holiday by John Swann
· Crime Fiction and the Trip of a
Lifetime by Leonie Swann
· Someone Else’s Vacation by Sarah Stewart Taylor
· Murder Across the Ocean by Charlene Wexler
COLUMNS
· Mystery in Retrospect: Reviews by Lucinda Surber, Lesa
Holstine, Dru Ann Love
· Crime for the Holidays by Gay Toltl Kinman
· Crime Seen: Vacation Video by Kate Derie
· From the Editor’s Desk by Janet A. Rudolph
SMFS list member James Patrick Focarile’s short story,
Mob Mentality, was published at Shotgun Honey. You can read the piece for free online
here.
Karen Keeley with "Beholden to No One."
Edward Lodi with “Dungeon Rock.”
Editor Cameron Trost with
“The Curse of the Emerald Eye.”
S. B. Watson with
"The Ghost."
|
Amazon Description:
|
·
SWASHBUCKLING!
·
PLANK-WALKING!
·
TIMBER-SHIVERING!
Hidden treasure, ancient curses, mythical sea creatures, uncharted waters, and
rip-roaring adventure across the seven seas — The Black Beacon Book of Pirates
carries a clandestine cargo of timber-shivering, plank-walking, and
swashbuckling goodies. You’ll be entertained by tall tales of yore recounted
over the the drunken din in the dingiest of taverns, you’ll embark upon the
most perilous of undertakings on the high seas, and you’ll be reminded that
even today, the legacy of pirates and privateers of a bygone age follows our
every step like a shadow—but wait, what’s that behind you? It’s too dark to be
a mere shadow...and what’s that in its hand? No, not in its hand, but instead
of a hand! A steely hook ready to strike! There’s only one way to escape. Turn
the page and set sail! This book is your helm. If you stick to it and hold
fast, you might just make it back to port alive, me hearty!
The Mutineer by Lawrence Dagstine
The End of All Tides by Paulene Turner
Poll Pirate by Michael Fountain
The Ghost by S. B. Watson
And the Sea by Jack Wells
Dungeon Rock by Edward Lodi
The Avery Dog Has His Day by Rose Biggin
The Curse of the Emerald Eye by Cameron Trost
Les Femmes Sauvages by Karen Bayly
Sting of the Schorpioen by DJ Tyrer
Beholden to No One by Karen Keeley
The Romance Writers of America Mystery/Romantic
Suspense Chapter #144, also known as Kiss of Death, has announced their
finalists for the “Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.”
There are multiple categories under the “Unpublished Division Finalists” and “Published
Division Finalists” as listed on their website. The SMFS list members that
reported that they are finalists are:
Published Division Finalists: Cozy Mystery Suspense
Lori Robbins with Murder
in Fourth Position: Murder in Fourth Position: An On Pointe Mystery
(Level Best Books, October 2023).
Published Division Finalists: Historical Romantic Mystery Suspense
donalee Moulton with Conflagration! (BWL
Publishing Inc., November 2023).
Winners will be announced July 30th, 2024, in Austin. Texas.
SMFS list member Lamont A. Turner reported today that
his latest book, Never The Night, is now out at Amazon.
Amazon Description:
After taking the case of a
missing teenage girl, P.I. Rob Doverman encounters a supernatural evil with
far-reaching murderous intentions.
Like any good leader, Doverman enlists the help of
key players in his world such as his reporter friend Maggie, his snarky
secretary Marcy and her gumptious brother Pete, his battle-wounded buddy Hugh,
esoteric scholar and former client Professor Morrison, and irascible Homicide
Detective Rickman.
With this neo-noir thriller by crime fiction
writer Lamont A. Turner, enter a reality only our hidden heroes encounter as
they hold back the darkness for all of humanity.
Today is publication day for the new anthology, Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense. Published by Superior Shores Press, the anthology includes short stories by numerous SMFS list members. Edited by SMFS list member Judy Penz Sheluk, the book is available at Amazon and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported their presence in the book are:
Christina Boufis with “Hit-and-Run.”
Susan Daly with “Hail Mary Blues.”
Wil A. Emerson with “Incidents and Intentions.”
Tracy Falenwolfe with “The Crimson Salamander.”
Wendy Harrison with “Red Ink.”
Julie Hastrup with “Skeeter’s Bar and Grill.”
Larry M. Keeton with “The Tight Squeeze.”
Edward Lodi with “The Purloined Parchment.”
Gregory Meece with “Once a Thief.”
Cate Moyle with “Robbery at the Birdcage.”
Kathleen Rockwood with “The Constellation Necklace.”
Kevin R. Tipple with “The Hospital Boomerang.”
Robert Weibezahl with “Artifact.”
Amazon Description:
Sometimes it's about doing
the right thing. Sometimes it's about getting even. Sometimes it's about taking
what you think you deserve. And sometimes, it's your last, best, chance. Edited
by Judy Penz Sheluk and featuring stories by Christina Boufis, John Bukowski,
Brenda Chapman, Susan Daly, Wil A. Emerson, Tracy Falenwolfe, Kate Fellowes,
Molly Wills Fraser, Gina X. Grant, Karen Grose, Wendy Harrison, Julie Hastrup,
Larry M. Keeton, Charlie Kondek, Edward Lodi, Bethany Maines, Gregory Meece,
Cate Moyle, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Kevin R. Tipple, and Robert
Weibezahl.
SMFS list members are
published in Yellow Mama Webzine: Issue 104. The issue is online and a free
read here.
The SMFS list members that reported being in the issue are:
James Blakey with “The
Solar Punks.”
Glen Bush with “Justice
Served.”
Charlie Kondek with "Acceptable Margin of
Inventory Loss.”
Elizabeth Zelvin with the poems “Orchestra Class” and “The
Old Lady Shows Her Mettle."