SMFS Spotlight: Kevin R. Tipple

 Short Mystery Fiction Society member Elena Smith has graciously offered to conduct interviews spotlighting members of the Society.  Here is the first, with longtime member and former President Kevin R. Tipple.  Take it away, Elena!

I know you currently live in Texas. Is this the only state you’ve lived in?

Yes. When I was a kid, we used to go on vacation for weeks at a time here in Texas and in a number of national and state parks in western states, but Texas has always been it for a home.

Does your locale influence your stories? If so, in what way?

Well, the bigger influence is what I have been through, but location matters as I set a lot of stories here in north Texas. So, I take a location, say the nearby Waffle House, and make it part of the story as I did for my story, “First Contact,” in the Santa Rage anthology. The weather here also makes an appearance in that one as I open with the weather which is frowned upon by some. My old apartment complex and some of the things that happened there are fictionalized in my story, “Death in Dallas” (This Ain’t Paradise) British Bump Off anthology coming in early January. Weather makes an appearance in that one as well. The location in those tales and all of my work matters in some way. Sometimes the location is its own character and sometimes it is more of a secondary character.

Kevin reading at Noir at the Bar

When did you have your first story published?

Late 1980s. “Hell, Here and Now” was originally a story written for a Saturday literature class at the University of Texas at Dallas. There were fifty students in the class. The class was on Dante and we were to write a story with him going through a new circle of Hell. We had to create a new level of hell, explain what it was designed for, and send him through it. It was only after we  submitted them that the professor announced he would read parts of the ones he really liked to the class. After reading five of them, he announced that one was so good, he was going to read the entire fifteen-pages plus. He looked at me, smirked as he knew how much I hated the attention, and then started reading mine aloud. Shockingly, not only did the floor not open and swallow me whole, but the class laughed at the jokes in it, and seemed to enjoy it. He pulled me aside after class and said I should be writing, submitting my work. Went home and told my very pregnant wife who vehemently told me she had been right and I should do this “writing thing.” Nobody was ever a bigger cheerleader for me and my writing. I know a lot of folks complain about their spouses on this, but Sandi was always very sure I was going to do great things writing wise.

How has your writing improved since then, and what do you attribute this to?

Assuming it has, and there have been many times I seriously wondered about that, I think writing, submitting, and being edited by others has made it better. Being part of a writing group from the late ’90s to around 2011 definitely made me a better writer as we sat and discussed what worked and what didn’t in our stories. I’d still be in a writing group if we had one in my area as I think it can really help IF one can find the right group. I didn’t fully appreciate what I had at the time. Since the end of those writing group days, I do not have much outside input before I submit and that has worked against me as well as for me. Time has also played a huge factor in all of this. Decades later, I am a far different person now at this age with everything I have been through, and what I am facing, and that, no doubt, has changed me for better and for worse. That also can’t help but affect the writing.

How long have you been a member of SMFS?

I think since sometime in the late ’90s.

 

How did you learn about it?

Earl Staggs. A member, past SMFS president, and a deeply missed good friend.

What do you like most about it?

The exposure to other folks who write mystery and crime fiction. I have read a lot of good stuff by way of finding folks on the list. Reading stuff improves your own writing.

What aspect of SMFS membership has been the most beneficial to you?

At this point, with the way things are now for me and the list, I would say the market news is the most beneficial. I don’t participate in the Zoom deals as my internet in NE Dallas is really bad. I also tend to stay away from some of the conversational threads, the recent crime music one comes to mind, as I just don’t have anything to share. Market info is very important to me as is being able to publicize when somebody is publishing one of my deals.

Is there anyone specific you would like to recommend for my next interview (provided the subject is willing...)?

Barry Ergang or Bruce Robert Coffin.

 

You can read Kevin R. Tipple’s story, "Choked on Love" in the Perp Wore Pumpkin 2 Thanksgiving Anthology (Misti Media) and on his blog: https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/

MORE GREAT NEW READS FROM THE SHORT MYSTERY FICTION SOCIETY!

As sure as the leaves turned and the temperatures dropped, the multi-talented scribes of The Short Mystery Fiction Society continued to turn out fabulous new treats for readers in October, and even pulled off their share of tricks.  Readers in the mood for the best in contemporary crime and mystery writing have plenty of recent publications to choose from.  Read on--and remember that the SMFS always has room for you!  Membership is free, and with Derringer season coming on fast, there's never a more exciting time to jump on board.

• In September, a number of SMFS members showed up in the pages of The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year.  October brought the release of this year's edition of The Best American Mystery and Suspense, edited by Don Winslow, and once again SMFS was well represented.  Among those present are Tom Andes ("Never Mind in Two Thousand"), Ann Aptaker ("Neon Women"), John Bosworth ("A Bad Place to Die"), Jacqueline Freimor ("Cruel to be Kind"), James D. F. Hannah ("Road to Nowhere"), Meagan Lucas ("The Light Themselves on Fire"), Twist Phelan ("Good Shoes"), Gary Phillips ("The Darklight Gizmo Matter"), and Art Taylor ("Dark Thread, Loose Strands").  That makes SMFS responsible for fully half the table of contents, and a host of other members placed stories on the "Other Distinguished Stories" list, including Hector Acosta, Libby Cudmore, O'Neil de Noux, Nils Gilbertson, Nick Kolkowski, Tom Milani, Delia Pitts, Annie Reed, Gabriela Stiteler, Shannon Taft, and Stacy Woodson.  Phew!  Can there be any doubt that SMFS members are among the elite?
  
  
  
• More evidence comes in the pages of Snakeberry: Best New England Crime Stories 2025, the latest in a long-running and much-honored annual series.  SMFS members here include Christine Bagley ("Sakura"), Brenda Buchanan ("Cape Jewell"), Judy Carlough ("Catch and Release"), Bruce Robert Coffin ("Writer's Block"), Laurel Hanson ("Out of the Reach"), Beth Hogan (Willful Blindness"), Chris Knopf ("Submission"), Cheryl Malone ("As The Crows Fly"), Paula Messina ("Perfect"), Susan Oleksiw ("The Receptionist"), Ang Pompano ("Minnie the Air Raid Warden"), Stephen D. Rogers ("Chekhov, Sartre, and the Unity of Effect"), Bonnar Spring ("At the End of the Day"), Gabriela Stiteler ("Money Well Spent") and Leslie Wheeler ("Graham 2.0").  This volume always deserves a place on your shelf!
  
  
  
• It's always exciting to see a new anthology hit the shelves.  October brought us the first of a promising new series with The Vigilante Crime Pulp Fiction Anthology, a Molotov cocktail of stories both honoring the past and blowing it wide open.  SMFS members on this maiden voyage include Christina Hoag ("Twofer") and Michael Bracken ("4:13 A.M.").
  
  
  
• SMFS member Claire A. Murray's "Come Hell or High Water" is among the highlights of SoWest: Danger Awaits, the latest in the highly regarded anthology series from the Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime.  Don't overlook these anthologies from regional groups--they're full of great stuff and exciting writing!
  
  
  
• Taking a darker path, M. E. Proctor brings us "Raise a Glass to John Dee" in This World of Vile Wonder: Horror Tales of the Scientific Revolution.  Chilling stuff!
  
  
  
• Christina Hoag thrills us once again with "The Coward" in the pages of the second volume of the cutting-edge anthology series Body Shots.  Not for the faint of heart!
  
  
  
• Hitting shelves in the coming weeks, the November/December 2025 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine includes riveting tales by SMFS members including David Dean ("Halloween Party"), O'Neil de Noux ("The Human Form Divine"), Billie Livingston ("What Ivy Brings"), Gregory Meece ("The Raindrop Prelude"), Gary Phillips ("Dr. Morbilius"), Paul Ryan O'Connor ("Destiny"), and Twist Phelan ("Authorized Treatment").
  
  
  
• Not to be outdone, the November/December Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine features SMFS members such as James Patrick Focarile ("Go Fish"), Mark Thielman ("The Tangled Web They Weave"), and Avram Lavinsky ("The Bank Heist Before Armageddon").  Don't let these great issues pass you by!
  
  
  
• Black Cat Weekly continues to offer fans of mystery, science fiction and pulp adventure the best bang for the buck, with hundreds of pages of new and classic stories and novels each and every week.  Among the SMFS authors BCW featured in October were Bern Sy Moss ("It's What She Does"), Steve Liskow ("Dead Oak Hill"), and Robert Lopresti ("Give the Gift of Murder").  Why not give yourself the gift of a BCW subscription today?
  
  
  
• Looking for great online reads?  Look no further than a barrage of digital goodies from SMFS all-stars!  First up, James Patrick Focarile offers up "Blood Dirty" at Pulp Asylum, and then doubles down with "Forever in Your Debt" over at Horror Tree.
  
  
  
•  Punk Noir proudly presents Halloween scares in "Beggars Night" from SMFS's own Elizabeth Dearborn.
  
  
  
• Shari Held brings us the dark side of show business at Yellow Mama with "The Audition."
  
  
  
• The legendary Saturday Evening Post hosts the soon-to-be legendary Stephen M. Pierce and his story of the clues in a poet's final verses, "Mockingbird Murders."
  
  
  
• M. E. Proctor is another SMFS all-star with two stellar stories out this month, "Nails in the Coffin" at the Pistol Jim Substack and "Buckets!" at the Twitter-based Mythic Picnic.
  
  
  
• The digital pages of Urban Pigs are graced by SMFS's Tom Milani and his hard-edged "So Cold it Burns."
  
  
  
• And last but not least, for those looking for audio thrills, the prolific James Patrick Focarile has you covered in the Mysteryrat's Maze podcast with "Forever Yours."
  
  
  

That's the latest in another great month of reading from SMFS.  Stay tuned for more as 2025 hurtles to a close!

Derringer Award Submissions Are Being Accepted

The Short Mystery Fiction Society is a free group of writers, readers, editors, publishers, and others dedicated to the promotion and celebration of mystery and crime short stories.

Our Derringer Awards honor stories up to 20,000 words. Editors and our members may now submit stories for consideration. Members may also submit anthologies. The deadline is January 30, 2026.

More information is available here.

Not a member? Enter your email to join the society today.

More information about the Derringer Awards

Derringer Award Results by Year

Great New Reads From the Short Mystery Fiction Society

There's nothing better than getting lost in a great story, and over the past several weeks the talented writers of the Short Mystery Fiction Society have provided readers with a wealth of terrific new publications.  From cozy to noir and all points between--if you like crime fiction on the cutting edge, SMFS has you covered!  Read on to learn about some hot-off-the-presses tales you won't want to miss.  And remember, if short crime fiction matters to you, joining SMFS is always free.  We'd love to have you!

• Bouchercon brought the world of mystery fiction to New Orleans in September, including the release of this year's Bouchercon anthology, BLOOD ON THE BAYOU: CASE CLOSED, edited by Don Bruns.  As always, SMFS members were well represented in this annual showcase, including Eric Beckstrom ("Six Cylinder Totem"), Robert Lopresti ("The Unreliable Narrator"), and Joseph S. Walker ("Final Edit").  Whether you made it to the Big Easy or not, this collection mertis a place of honor on your shelf!
  
  
  
• And what would go better alongside it on that shelf than this year's installment of THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP PRESENTS THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR, from series editor Otto Penzler and this year's editor, superstar John Grisham?  Making the cut for this prestigious anthology this year are SMFS members V. P. Chandler ("Under the Blackjack Tree"), Tracy Falenwolfe ("Jamming at Jollies"), James Hearn ("Totality"), Billie Livingston ("Same Old Song"), Kai Lovelace ("Only a Story"), Karen Odden ("Her Dangerously Clever Hands"), Anna Scotti ("A New Weariness"), Shelagh Smith ("Snapshot"), Lamont A. Turner ("The Lost and the Lonely"), Joseph S. Walker ("Run and Gun"), and Andrew Welsh-Huggins ("Through Thick and Thin").  Phew!  That's almost half of the stories in the book from our merry crew!
  
  
  
• The hits just keep on coming in LUNATIC FRINGE: MORE CRIME FICTION INSPIRED BY ONE-HIT WONDERS, edited by J. Alan Hartman.  Taking a spin on the dance floor are SMFS stalwarts Adam Meyer, John M. Floyd, Karen Keeley, Kaye George, Linda Kay Hardie, Mary Dutta, Michael Bracken, Sandra Murphy, and Steve Liskow.  Toe-tapping tales to keep your spine tingling!
  
  
  
• For CRIMEUCPOIA: WHAT THE BUTLER DIDN'T SEE, writers set out to prove that sometimes the butler is actually innocent!  Taking on the challenge are SMFS all-stars S. B Watson ("The Locked Igloo"), Gregory Meece ("Senior Call Up"), Michele Bazan Reed ("The Nun's Habit"), Bonnar Spring ("Hoodwinked"), Kathleen Marple Kalb ("All That Kissy Stuff") and John M. Floyd ("Not One Word").
  
  
  
• The groundbreaking ON FIRE AND UNDER WATER: A CLIMATE CHANGE CRIME FICTION ANTHOLOGY proves that our genre can take on even the most serious of contemporary issues in engaging, entertainng ways.  Contributors include SMFS members C. W. Blackwell ("Poison is the Wind that Blows"), Richie Narvaez ("The Skies are Red") and Meagan Lucas ("What You Lost").
  
  
  
• Meanwhile, in MYOPIC DUPLICITY, edited by Jeff Circle, authors offer up tales of moral ambiguity and psychological tension, asking if the ends ever justify the means.  Highlights include SMFS members C. W. Blackwell ("The High Priest of Low Men") and M. E. Proctor ("For Rosalie, With Love").
  
  
  
•  SMFS's own Abe Margel is among the contributors to CURSES: CHRONICLES OF DARKNESS with his powerful yarn "Uneasy Spirit."
  
  
  
• Turning to periodicals, ROCK AND A HARD PLACE continues to offer the very best in hard-hitting crime in issue 15, including SMFS members Brandon Barrows ("Lucky Duck") and M. E. Proctor ("Black Ice").
  
  
  
• THRILL RIDE charges hard into its eleventh issue, featuring pulse-pounding action in tales like Robert J. Binney's "Tramps Like Us."
  
  
  
• The long-awaited sixteenth issue of BLACK CAT MYSTERY MAGAZINE more than rewards readers' patience with powerhouse storytelling from SMFS members Mark Thielman ("Masterpiece"), Jackie Ross Flaum ("The Sawmill Salvation"), Elizabeth Zelvin ("A Sortie From the Harem"), Michele Bazan Reed ("The Hound Heads to Hollywood") and Robert Lopresti ("The Night Beckham Burned Down").
  
  
  
• Billing itself, with reason, as the cutting edge of modern short fiction, PULPHOUSE issue 40 features SMFS members Annie Reed ("Hellfire") and David H. Hendrickson ("Stepping Into the Light").  Not to be missed!
  
  
  
• If anyone deserves to be featured alongside Raymond Chandler in the latest issue of THE STRAND MAGAZINE, it's sure SMFS legend John M. Floyd, whose "Reptiles" spins the story of a harmless prank gone very wrong.  You won't soon forget this one!
  
  
  
• Over in WOMAN'S WORLD, D. K. Snyder serves up solve-it-yourself fun in "Fresh-Baked Fraud."  Look for it on your local newstand!
• Like your mysteries on the go?  Don't miss the MYSTERIES TO DIE FOR podcast!  The latest episode features a neophyte investigator who gets in over his head in Larry M. Keeton's "First Reports are Rarely Right."
• BLACK CAT WEEKLY continues to offer readers an incredible value, with hundreds of pages of new and classic genre fiction every week.  Among the new in recent weeks: Joseph S. Walker's "What We Talk Like When We Talk Like a Pirate" and Robert Lopresti's "Shanks and the High Bidder," the latest in Lopresti's long-running and much-loved Shanks series.
  
  
  
• STONE'S THROW offers up just one (free!) story a month, but it's always a winner.  For September the story was S. B. Nolen's "Fire Season," with crime and natural disaster crossing paths.
• Over at NECESSARY FICTION, Terena Elizabeth Bell gives us "Mall of America, with crime rearing its head in the most unlikely of settings.
• Taking more of a horror tack at MYSTERY TRIBUNE is Debra Bliss Saenger in "Knocking on a Heathen Door."  Perfect for the start of spooky season!
• Crossing the pond, THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND proudly presents a 1930s historical in Veronica Leigh's "Down in the Valley."
• As always, we wrap up by congratulating SMFS members who saw books published in recent weeks.  First up is Vinnie Hansen's CRIME WRITER, about, well, a crime writer on a police ride-along who sees something she definitely should not have seen.
  
  
  
• In M. E. Proctor's latest entry in the Declan Shaw series, CATCH ME ON A BLUE DAY, Shaw investigates the apparent suicide of a reporter who had asked for his help--though the police just want the whole thing to go away.
  
  
  
• And finally, not satisfied with writing his own award-winning stories and editing multiple anthologies, SMFS Golden Derringer winner Josh Pachter has also translated dozens of stories from other languages for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.  More than twenty of the best are collected in DUTCH TREATS: CRIME FICTION BY DUTCH AND FLEMISH AUTHORS.  Gotta love that cover!
  
  
  

And there's another guide to help you find great fireside reading as a fall chill fills the air.  Stay tuned for more, because nothing slows down the Short Mystery Fiction Society in our relentless pursuit of literary excellence!

 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM THE SHORT MYSTERY FICTION SOCIETY

As the dog days of summer faded into fall, the members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society continued to turn out a wealth of powerful tales!  If you're a reader looking for some of the most rewarding reads of the year, check out these recent publications by our multi-talented authors.  And remember, there's always room in the Society for you!

August was another terrific month for crime anthologies, which are seeing a real golden age!  First up is BETTER OFF DEAD VOLUME ONE: CRIME FICTION INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN, edited by SMFS member D. M. Barr.  Saturday night may be alright for fighting, but any time is alright for reading this fab collection, featuring members including Joseph S. Walker ("All The Young Girls Love Alice"), Josh Pachter ("I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself"), Rob Lopresti ("The Cage"), David Dean ("Daniel"), and Avram Lavinsky ("Funeral For a Friend").

Moving from music to the silver screen, Deborah Wells edits CELLULOID CRIMES, a gripping anthology paying homage to the razor-sharp wit and smoky intrigue of classic noir.  The prolific Rob Lopresti is present again here with "The Little Death," alongside such SMFS luminaries as M. E. Proctor ("Garbo's Ghost") and Wendy Harrison ("No Way Out").  A cornucopia reminding us that the great tales never die!

And what's this?  Why, none other than Rob Lopresti once again, his "Lucky Night" reminding us that he's one of the best in the game as his contribution to THE MOST DANGEROUS GAMES, an anthology of game-themed crime stories edited by Deborah Lacy.  Among the others rolling the dice for this one are Jane Limprecht ("Game of Drones"), Stephen M/ Pierce ("Death Streamed Live"), donalee Moulton ("Zebra Finch"), and Shannon Taft ("Old Maid").  Who wins and who loses?  You'll have to read to find out!

Going north of the border, COTTAGE CRIMES, edited by Eddie Generous, brings us eight new mystery and crime stories from Canadian authors taking a close look the secrets hidden in idyllic country retreats.  SMFS is proud to be represented here by donalee Moulton ("Belted Kingfisher") and Merrilee Robson ("The Adventure in Baker Cabin").

(By the way, you've already heard the name donalee Moulton a couple of times in this post--but did you know that in addition to writing cracking good crime stories, she's an organizational savant?  If you're in the market for a roadmap to designing organizational policy--and really, aren't we all?--you owe to yourself to check out her BETTER POLICY / BETTER PERFORMANCE.)

And now for something completely different--STEAMPUNK SLEUTHS, edited by Cameron Trost, with five stories offering up clever mystery puzzles with a steampunk spin.  Leading off is SMFS member S. B. Watson's "Tears of the Dargon," a perfect treat for those who love crossing genre lines!

Meanwhile, those who know their mystery history will recall the list of twenty rules composed by the legendary S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s, outlining things that must, and must not, happen in any detective story.  A host of today's best writers have taken great pleasure in breaking every one of those rules in DOUBLE CROSSING VAN DINE, edited by Donna Andrews, Greg Herren, and Art Taylor.  In her "Baby Love," SMFS Golden Derringer winner Barb Goffman hilariously shreds Van Dine's insistence that love--and lust--have no place in the mystery world.

Turning to the world of magazine, the September/October issue of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, as always, includes a number of SMFS stars, including Michael Bracken ("Blind Pig"), Yoshinori Todo ("Japan Trip") and Dave Zeltserman ("Julius Katz and the Dented Fender").

Dave Zeltserman pulls off an impressive feat by also having a story in his enormously popular Katz series, "Julius Katz Draws a Straight Flush," in the September/October ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE.  Also present and accounted for here are SMFS members Joseph S. Walker ("High in that Ivory Tower"), Andrew Welsh-Huggins ("The Bear"), and, once again, Michael Bracken ("The Girl in the Shop").

Also earning a place on the summer shelves is issue 47 of PULP LITERATURE, featuring MH Callway's haunting "The Lost Diner"--an eatery you won't soon forget.

Over in ROCK AND A HARD PLACE issue 14, Christina Hoag delivers a jolt of suspense in "Escape."

And in DARK YONDER #10, Christina joins the impressive roster of SMFS members with multiple August publications with "No Evidence."

The most recent issue of MYSTERY, CRIME AND MAYHEM is themed around crimes in coffee houses.  David H. Hendrickson joins the caffeinated fun in "When Eggs-cellent Coffer Turned Rotten."

As always, the members of SMFS were well represented in the August issues of BLACK CAT WEEKLY, with highlights including Sybil Johnson's "Mini-Mart Sleuth" and Paula Messina's "How to Finance an African Safari."  We've said it before, but it bears repeating--if you love mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, and pulp, there's simply no better value out there than BCW!

Looking for fast, free online stories that still have a powerful punch?  SMFS members are happy to provide!  Start out at STONE'S THROW with their winning August story, Autumn Harrison's "#emotionallaborday."  A quick trip over to GUILTY will reward you with Vinnie Hansen's innovative "Killing With Yellowjackets (Vespula Pensylvanica)."  Then roll on over to THE YARD: CRIME BLOG for Daniel Bartlett's "The Last Days of the Time Out Tavern."  Stop by MYSTERY TRIBUNE for Abe Margel's "Lost His Head," and wrap things up at THE SATURDAY EVENING POST with Christina Hoag's "The Mysterious Food Truck Affair" and donalee Moulton's "Jackdaw."  That's one satisfying surf through some dynamite fiction!

As always, the Short Mystery Fiction Society is your guide to great reading!  For more reviews and other treats, don't miss former President Kevin Tipple's KEVIN'S CORNER blog, frequently featuring guest reviews by such folks as Paula Messina.  And of course, we'd love to have you in the Society--great discussions, no dues, and a welcome atmosphere for readers and writers alike.  What's not to love?

SMFS Members at Bouchercon 2025

 Bouchercon 2025, the International Mystery Conference, will be held in New Orleans from September 3-7. Many members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society will be participating in panels and other events.

Wed 12 Christina Boufis Research: Giving Your Work Authenticity  Salon FGH 12 Kathryn Prater Bomey  Debut: The Rollercoaster Ride of Publishing Your  Your Book. Salon E 12 Robert Lopresti Getting Started: How Ideas Become Stories Galerie 3 3 Armand Rosamilia Making Your Blood Run Cold: Dabbling in  Horror. Galerie 1-2 5 Robert Lopresti Library Event: "Free Books" Carondelet Ballroom Thu 9 Karen Odden What's Old Can Be New: The Appeal of  Historical Mysteries & Thrillers. Salon FGH 10:30 Aimee Kluck Crime fiction and social commentary:  tackling social issues. Galerie 3 10:30 Josh Pachter writer's block Salon FGH 10:30 Nina Wachsman Kickass Women: Prince Charming is Out of a Job Salon ABCD 12:30 Gary Phillips Suspense, Action and Conflict Salon E 7 Many Opening Ceremony (Derringer & Shamus Awards) World War II Museum 8:30 Robert Lopresti anthology signing World War II Museum Fri 9 Alan Orloff Bridging the Gap Between YA and Adult  Mysteries and Thrillers. Galerie 5-6 12 Josh Pachter Anthony Mixer 12 Michael Bracken Anthony Mixer Carondelet Ballroom 1 John Floyd Short Stories: Pacing in the Action 1 Robert Lopresti Short Stories: Pacing in the Action Galerie 3 2 Alan Orloff Anthology signing: Hollywood Kills Level Best Books: Books Room 2:30 Michael Bracken Killing Your Darlings: Edit That Manuscript! Galerie 6 10:30 Kate Hohl Elementary! The Sherlock Effect Salon FGH Sat 9 Jeff Markowitz Humor: Laughter in the Midst of Chaos  Galerie 3 9 Karen Odden Creating the Right Voice for Your Narrative Galerie 1-2 10 Michael Bracken Jumpstart Your Story Media Room 10:30 Pamela Ebel Sweet Tea with a Splash of Crime: The Southern  Influence. Salon E Sun 8 Bonnar Spring Creating a Diverse Cast of Characters Galerie 3 8 N. M. Cedeño Voice - How Do You Find Yours? 8 Daniel C. Bartlett Voice - How Do You Find Yours? Salon E 8 Manon Wogahn Marketing and Promotion Salon ABCD 9:30 Robert Lopresti Short stories: creating memorable characters 9:30 Bonnar Spring Short stories: creating memorable characters Salon FGH

 

 

JULY NEWS FROM THE SHORT MYSTERY FICTION SOCIETY

July was a scorcher of a month, and not just in terms of the weather.  Check out some of the fantastic work produced by the red-hot writers of the Short Mystery Fiction Society!

The latest music-themed anthology of crime fiction from White City Press, GAG ME WITH A SPOON: CRIME FICTION INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF THE 1980S includes a number of SMFS stalwarts turning back the clock to the glory days of MTV.  Among those fighting for their right to party are SMFS President Joseph S. Walker ("The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"), Linda Kay Hardie ("Sappho's Girl"), Shari Held ("That Damn Car"), Sandra Murphy ("Marge and Dot Go Rogue"), Michael Bracken ("The Safety Dance"), John M. Floyd ("Uptown Girl"), and Josh Pachter ("Free Fallin'").  Every story is a guaranteed thriller!

Also hitting the anthology shelves in July was A RIGHT COZY CULINARY CRIME, a collection of cozy mysteries featuring, you guessed it, food.  Making the menu is SMFS member DK Snyder with "Lemons and Lies."  Treats for the discerning reader!

The July/August issue of ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE brings us SMFS members aplenty, including Michael Bracken ("Penalty For Early Withdrawal"), Marcelle Dubè ("Heartsick") and Jeffrey Marks ("Fifteen Feet Under").  As always, AHMM shouldn't be missed by any discerning fan of the best mystery writing being published today!

And needless to say, the same is true of sister publication ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, celebrating decades as the flagship title for the finest short crime fiction in the world.  Present in its July/August issue are SMFS members Joseph S. Walker ("When You Leave This Place"), Terena Elizabeth Bell ("What Blue Found") and Gabriela Stiteler ("The Usual Reasons"), alongside legends like Bill Pronzini, Marcia Muller and Sara Paretsky.  Get your copy today!

BLACK CAT WEEKLY continues to offer readers incredible value, with hundreds of pages of new and classic mystery, science fiction, and pulp goodness every single week.  Issue 202 includes SMFS mainstays Michael Bracken ("Shrödinger's Blonde"), Robert Lopresti ("The Trouble With Lucy"), and John M. Floyd ("Brain Food").

And in issue 204, BCW is proud to include offerings from SMFS members Tom Milani ("Mill Mountain") and Alan Orloff ("Snitches Local 422").  Don't subscribe to BCW?  Now's a great time to start!

In the mood for high-quality, quick online reads?  SMFS has you covered!

At Stone's Throw, Gabriela Stiteler gives us "For Laura," a story about the darker side of summer vacations.  Over in the virtual pages of Bull, Tom Milani's "The Hardest Thing" is a potent meditation on baseball, crime, and deciding when to let go.  Trash Cat Lit hosts M. E. Proctor's ""Mirror on the Wall," about a hitman's strange encounters and what they portend.  And at Punk Noir Press, Jessica Slee's "Market Price" is a terrific new entry in their Deadly Sins series.  Great stuff all around!

A quick tip of the hat to former SMFS president Kevin R. Tipple, whose "Kevin's Corner" blog is one of the web's best resources for finding quality fiction.  Guest posts, like this one by SMFS's Paula Messina, are just one reason why.

Like listening to your mystery fiction on the go?  Check out THE MYSTERY HOUR, in which host Rabia Chaudry shares classic stories from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.  SMFS authors are featured regularly, most recently with "No Title No Clout" from the reliably terrific Marcelle Dubè. 

And of course, every month we close by celebrating SMFS authors bringing out their own books.  In donalee Moulton's MELT, three yogis with a penchant for solving crimes try to save a seventeen-year-old boy from a life in prison.  It's book two in the must-read Lotus Detective series.

And finally, David H. Hendrickson's CRIME, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, one of the modern masters of short crime brings together five of his finest stories for your pleasure.

And that's the news, folks!  Look for still more action from SMFS authors in August.  And if you love writing, editing, publishing, or even reading short mysteries, SMFS is for you.  Membership is free, and the fun is unlimited.  Why not join today?