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?