SMFS Member Publishing News: The Agency of Modern Kunoichi: Women of Ninja Stealth and Perseverance by Tori Eldridge

SMFS list member Tori Eldridge’s essay, The Agency of Modern Kunoichi: Women of Ninja Stealth and Perseverance, appears in the new book, Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror. Published by Black Spot Books, the book is released today in digital and print formats at Amazon and other vendors.

 

Publisher Description:

From hungry ghosts, vampiric babies, and shapeshifting fox spirits to the avenging White Lady of urban legend, for generations, Asian women’s roles have been shaped and defined through myth and story. In Unquiet Spirits, Asian writers of horror reflect on the impact of superstition, spirits, and the supernatural in this unique collection of 21 personal essays exploring themes of otherness, identity, expectation, duty, and loss, and leading, ultimately, to understanding and empowerment.

 

 

SMFS Members Nominated for the 2022 Agatha Award Nominees

 

Established in 1989, Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area that celebrates the traditional mystery, best typified by the works of Agatha Christie, containing no explicit sex, excessive gore, or violence.

Malice Domestic #35 will take place April 28-30, 2023. Again this year, numerous SMFS list members are nominated in several categories. The full list of the 2022 Agatha Award nominees and more can be found here. The categories and nominated SMFS list members are:

 

Children's/ YA Mystery 

Fleur Bradley for Daybreak on Raven Island (Viking Books for Young People).

 

Best Contemporary Novel 

Annette Dashofy for Fatal Reunion: A Zoe Chambers Mystery (Level Best Books).

 

Best First Novel 

M. A. (Mary) Monnin for Death in the Aegean: An Intrepid Traveler Mystery (Level Best Books). 

Nina Wachsman for The Gallery of Beauties: A Venice Beauties Mystery (Level Best Books).

  

Best Short Story 

Barb Goffman for the short story, Beauty and the Beyotch, in Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine #29. 

Lisa Q. Mathews for the short story, Fly Me to the Morgue, in the anthology, Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Diabolical (Wildside Press). 

Richie Narvaez for the short story, The Minnesota Twins Meet Bigfoot, in the book, Land of 10,000 Thrills: Bouchercon Anthology 2022 (Down & Out Books). Read for free at his website. 

Art Taylor for the short story, The Invisible Band, in the anthology, Edgar & Shamus Go Golden: Twelve Tales of Murder, Mystery, and Master Detection from the Golden Age of Mystery and Beyond (Down & Out Books). Read for free at his website. 

 

In addition, the recently published book, Promophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction, is nominated in the Best Non-Fiction category. Published by Sisters in Crime, it includes essays by numerous SMFS list members.

SMFS Member Publishing News: Arthur Conan Doyle Vs. the Evil Holmes by Martin Hill Ortiz

 

SMFS list member Martin Hill Ortiz’s nonfiction piece, Arthur Conan Doyle Vs. the Evil Holmes, appears in the recently released book, Steel True, Blade Straight 2022 Annual: The Belanger Books Journal of SHERLOCK HOLMES and SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE-Inspired Stories, Poems and Scholarship. Published by Belanger Books, the read is available in digital and print formats at Amazon.

 

Synopsis:

Steel True, Blade Straight: The Belanger Books Journal of Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Inspired Stories, Poems, and Scholarship 2022 Annual

This all-new, jumbo-sized journal is divided into two sections. The first half includes all-new stories, poems, and scholarship focused on the writings and life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The second half of the journal features all-new Sherlock Holmes centered stories, poems, and essays. The Sherlock Holmes stories are traditional and written in the Watsonian voice.

Steel True, Blade Straight has been endorsed by the Arthur Conan Doyle Society.

Steel True, Blade Straight features writing by:

Ross Davies, BSI · Bonnie MacBird, BSI · John Davis · Paul M. Chapman · Robert Stapleton · Paul Hiscock · Nancy Holder, BSI · Margie Deck · Hassan Akram · Anna Behrens · Rob Nisbet · Dr. Martin Hill Ortiz · Stephen Herczeg · Kathryn Sadakierski · David Marcum · Dan Andriacco, BSI · DJ Tyrer · Mark Mower · Will Murray · Nick Dunn-Meynell · Kay Hanifen · Claire Daines · Gretchen Altabef · Teel James Glenn · Carla Coupe, BSI

The journal is edited by Derrick and Brian Belanger

Get this first edition of the all new Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Sherlock Holmes journal!

SleuthSayers: Real or Nonreal? by John Floyd

SleuthSayers: Real or Nonreal?: I was asked an interesting question a few weeks ago, about writing. First, a quick story. Years ago a writer friend of mine had just publish...

2020 Agatha Award Nominees

Established in 1989, Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area that celebrates the traditional mystery, best typified by the works of Agatha Christie, containing no explicit sex, excessive gore, or violence. This year, instead of the annual in person convention, MORE THAN MALICE will take place entirely online from July 14-17, 2021. There are twelve SMFS list members up for an Agatha Award in six different categories. The awards will be presented on July 17^th.

 

In the “Best Short Story” category there are four members that are nominated. Those members are:

Barb Goffman for "Dear Emily Etiquette" in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: September/October 2020. You can listen to the podcast for this story here.

Art Taylor for “The Boy Detective & The Summer of ‘74" in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine: January/February 2021. You can read Art’s essay on how the story came together here.

Gabriel Valjan for “Elysian Fields” in the anthology, California Schemin’: The 2020 Bouchercon Anthology, published by Wildside Press.

James W. Ziskin for “The 25 Year Engagement” in the anthology, In League with Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon, published by Pegasus Crime. You can read James’ essay on how the story came together here.

 

Our members up for Agatha Awards for longer works are:

Donna Andrews is up for the Agatha Award in the “Best Contemporary Novel” category for Gift of the Magpie, published by Minotaur.

Tina deBellegarde is up for an Agatha Award in the “Best First Novel” category for Winter Witness, published by Level Best Books.

Mary Keliikoa is up for the Agatha Award in the “Best First Novel” category for Derailed, published by Epicenter Press, Inc.

Edith Maxwell is up for the Agatha Award in the “Best Historical Novel” category for Taken Too Soon: A Quaker Midwife Mystery, published by Beyond the Page Publishing.

Leslie Brody in the “Best Non-Fiction” Category for Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy, published by Seal Press.

Martin Edwards in the “Best Non-Fiction” Category for Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club, published by Collins Crime Club.

Fleur Bradley in the “Best Children’s/YA Mystery” Category for Midnight at the Barclay Hotel, published by Viking Books for Young Readers.

Richard Narvaez in the “Best Children’s/YA Mystery” Category for Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco, published by Piñata Books.

 

SMFS salutes our members on this honor and wishes them the best as they represent SMFS at Malice Domestic. The full list of nominees can be found at the Malice Domestic website.

SMFS Member Publishing News: David Goudsward

SMFS list member David Goudsward edited and annotated the new book, Old World Footprints by Cassie Symmes. Published by Bold Ventures Press, it is currently available in paperback and hardcover at the publisher.

 

Publisher Synopsis:

Preface by H.P. Lovecraft (ghosting for Frank Belknap Long)

Edited and annotated by David Goudsward; Foreword by Bobby Derie

In 1928, Mrs. William B. Symmes published a 32-page travelogue. The 300-copy run was privately distributed by Mrs. Symmes among her friends and family. The book's publisher was amateur pressman W. Paul Cook and his Recluse Press imprint. Mrs. Symmes' nephew, Frank Belknap Long is credited for the preface, actually ghostwritten by H. P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft proofread the book for Cook, and may have edited it as well. The involvement of Cook, Long, and Lovecraft transforms an unremarkable travelogue by Cassie Symmes into one of the rarest of Lovecraft-related publications.

Bold Ventures Press proudly presents a new edition, edited and annotated by Lovecraft scholar David Goudsward. It is illustrated by photos and period postcards, and includes a foreword by pulp scholar Bobby Derie and Cassie’s biography.

SMFS Member Publishing News: Vinnie Hansen

Vinnie Hansen’s non-fiction piece, “Geography Lessons” appears in the Catamaran Literary Reader: Winter 2021 issue. It can be purchased on their website here.

SMFS Members Published in Mysterical-E Fall 2020

Several SMFS list members have short stories, nonfiction columns, and more in the just released Mysterical-E Fall 2020 issue. The issue can be read for free here. The SMFS members in the issue are:

Shortstories:   

Jeanne DuBois with "Murder at the Alcazar." 

Ron Katz with “The Sleuthing Silvers and the Mystery of the Perfect Profiles.” 

 

 

Non Fiction: 

Kaye George’s column, “What's Your Process” thuiis issue focuses on Priscilla Patton, Susan Van Kirk, SMFS list member Judy Penz Sheluk, and A. R. Kennedy. 

Gerald So’s column, “Mysterical Eye” discusess the impact of the pandemic on movies and tevelision and offers some viewing suggestions. 

 

 

Book Excerpt and Interview: 

There are three book excerpts in this issue and an excerpt from Bar None by Cathi Stoler is included. She is also one of three authors interviewed by staff.

SMFS Members Publication News: Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine #27

Several SMFS list members have short stories and other pieces in the recently released Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine #27. Published by Wildside Press, the issue is currently available in print at Amazon and elsewhere. The members in this issue are:

Jacqueline Seewald with “The Unexpected.”

Additionally, Chris Chan has a non fiction piece titled “Someday the Truth Will Come Out.” He summarizes the Anne Lemberger case and explains how Mark Lemberger cleared his family’s name.

Also included is the non fiction piece, “Dr. Watson and True Facts” by Bruce Harris

Synopsis:

"The 27th issue of Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine features new and classic mystery tales!

FEATURES:

·  From Watson’s Notebooks, by John H Watson, M D

·  Ask Mrs Hudson, by (Mrs) Martha Hudson

NON FICTION:

·         Screen of the Crime, by Kim Newman

·         Carnivory, Darwin, and Doyle, by O’Neill Curatolo

·         “Someday the Truth Will Come Out”, by Chris Chan

·         Dr. Watson and True Facts, by Bruce Harris

FICTION

·         The Red-Faced League, by Hal Charles

·         Such Good Friends, by Dianne Neral Ell

·         The Strange Disappearance of the Talking Horse, by Ron Goulart

·         A Death in Baltimore, by Arjay Lewis

·         Jewels in the Sun, by Laird Long

·         The Unexpected, by J.P. Seewald

·         “Lease With Option to Buy”, by Ellen Wight

·         The Adventure of Silver Blaze, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

SMFS Members Published in Mysterical-E: Summer 2019

The Mysterical-E: Summer 2019 issue has been released and is now available to download and read for free at Mysterical-E. SMFS members have fiction as well as nonfiction pieces in this issue.

Fiction

Heidi Hunter with “Granny Livvy’s Secret.”

Robert Petyo with “Manic Mystery Society.”

Cathi Stoler with “That’s My Story (And I’m Sticking To It)

Nonfiction

Christine Verstraete with her “Author Snapshot” feature on SMFS list members Kaye George, Terrie Farley Moran, and other authors and their news of upcoming books.

Kaye George’s new feature titled, “What’s Your Process” is back in this issue. Fellow members Madeline McEwen and Pam De Voe are two of the four authors interviewed for this column.

In her “Take Another Look: Ironweed” Anita Page considers the movie and how weather became a major character in the film.

Gerald So is back in this issue with his long running feature, “Mysterical-Eye.” This time he talks about various classic television shows as well as some new ones on various platforms.

Also included in the issue is an interview with Paul D. Marks.

Melina Druga: An Interview with Author J. R. Lindermuth

Melina Druga: An Interview with Author J. R. Lindermuth