The award supports the advancement, recognition and professional development of emerging crime writers of color.

August 1, 2024 — Sisters in Crime (SinC), an inclusive international community for all who write and love crime fiction, has announced the winner of the annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color.

This year’s winner is P.M. Raymond of Apex, North Carolina. Raymond’s winning submission, "A Nasty Business,” is set on a Louisiana farm where a family tradition forces the heirs to compete in a series of grueling tasks. Pops, the patriarch, oversees the competition between his sons, Galen and Jeff, as they vie for control of the estate, and discover the farm's dark history — and the heavy burden of their inheritance.

As a New Orleans native, mystical undertones are, says Raymond, the roux in her crime noir and horror writing. She was named to the 160 Black Women in Horror and is a 2024 Finalist in the Killer Shorts Screenplay Competition. Her work has appeared in publications such as Flash Fiction Magazine, Kings River Life Magazine, Dark Fire Fiction, Pyre Magazine and The Furious Gazelle and Dark Yonder.

Raymond’s story was selected from 29 submissions by the 2024 judges of the Eleanor Taylor Bland Award, Alex Segura, Carolyn Wilkins and Nicole Prewitt.

“It was an honor to serve as a judge again this year,” said Segura. “The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award plays an integral part in spotlighting marginalized voices deserving greater recognition, and I’m thankful to have played a small part in that process.”

“It is exciting and inspiring to read so many excellent stories by crime writers of color,” said Wilkins. “We had a difficult time selecting a winner because the overall caliber of submissions was so high.”

"I love SinC's mission and feel the ETBA is such a special award in our community,” added Prewitt. “It was a tough choice, but I'm excited to offer a congratulations to this year's winner!”

Established in 2014, the Eleanor Taylor Bland Award supports the advancement, recognition and professional development of emerging crime writers of color. It is aligned with Sisters in Crime’s mission to promote diversity in crime fiction. The grantee may use the award to attend workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses and research activities that help them complete their work.

2024 runners up are Carleasa A. Coates of Catlett, Virginia; Renee P. Stone of Las Vegas, Nevada; Grace Winter of Decatur, Georgia; Fritz Mason of Columbia, South Carolina; Elena Scialtiel of Gibraltar.

About Eleanor Taylor Bland

Eleanor Taylor Bland (1944-2010) paved the way for fresh voices in crime fiction by showcasing complex characters that had previously been peripheral to, or simply missing from, the genre. Her debut novel, Dead Time (1992), introduced Black police detective Marti MacAlister, an enduring and beloved heroine who overturned stereotypes that had been perpetuated in much of American popular culture. Bland also published more than 50 works of short crime fiction and edited the 2004 collection, Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors.

About Sisters in Crime

Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 4,200 members and more than 60 chapters worldwide. Its initiatives include scholarships; grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace. For more information, visit http://www.sistersincrime.org.

Ellen described the bookstore as, “a mix of used and new books, bookish gifts, and local crafts. We’re a small space but we pack a lot in! We’ve recently had an uptick in customers asking for cozy mysteries, so we’re working on expanding that selection.” Creating a vibrant community of book lovers, the bookstore hosts author nights, book signings and launches, and poetry open mic nights.

The bookstore website lists staff picks, has a recommendation form for staff to make suggestions for your next read, and publishes poems written by customers every week.

(Photo caption: Manager Ellen Woodall is pictured with Sisters in Crime member-author books.) 

Support Blacksburg Books:

• Address: 401 S. Main Street, Ste. 106, Blacksburg, VA  24060
• Website: https://www.blacksburgbooks.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Blacksburg.Books/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blacksburg_books/

Owners Kristy Bodnar and Tara Goldberg-DeLeo (pictured) took over the shop in 2018.

Mystery Lovers Bookshop has been an independent bookstore specializing in the mystery genre since 1990,” said Tara. “We carry over 6,000 titles of books for children and adults. We are dedicated to offering a wide range of books from the mystery genre, including thrillers, noir, suspense, and cozies, too. We also have a large children's selection and popular general fiction. We are located just 20 minutes east of downtown Pittsburgh in the charming retail district of Oakmont, PA."

Tara Goldberg-DeLeo added, "We truly appreciate the grant and the support from Sisters in Crime.”

Support The Mystery Lovers Bookshop

Address: 514 Allegheny River Blvd, Oakmont, PA  15139

Website: https://www.mysterylovers.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysterylovers

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysteryloversbookshop

SISTERS IN CRIME OPENS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2024 ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND CRIME FICTION WRITERS OF COLOR AWARD

The $2000 annual award helps an emerging writer pursue their publishing goals

February 1, 2024 — Sisters in Crime is accepting applications for its 11th annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, a $2,000 grant awarded to an emerging writer of color. Candidates must apply by March 31, and the winner will be announced later this spring.

“The Eleanor Taylor Bland Award is one of the ways SinC supports emerging writers of color and honors outstanding crime writing,” says Sisters in Crime Board President, Kelly Oliver. “We look forward to another field of excellent entrants.” 

Named for the late, pioneering African American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland, the award is intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. 

The winner may choose to use the grant for activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of their work. The 2023 recipient will join an impressive list of past winners: Nicole Prewitt, Shizuka Otake, D. Ann Williams, Yasmin Angoe, Jessica Martinez, Mia P. Manansala, Jessica Ellis Laine, Stephane Dunn, Vera H-C Chan, and Maria Kelson.

There is  no fee to enter and submissions are open to any crime writer of color who has not published more than ten short works or two novels. More information is available at www.sistersincrime.org/EleanorTaylorBland

***

Eleanor Taylor Bland was the author of fourteen book-length works of crime fiction  between 1992 and 2007. The books featured Marti MacAlister, a female police detective and an enduring and beloved heroine who went against the grain of stereotypes related to African American women in much of U.S. popular culture. Bland also published several works of short crime fiction and edited a collection titled Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African American Authors (2004).

Complete guidelines and the application can be found at www.sistersincrime.org/page/EleanorTaylorBland

Thanks to the William McGill Public Library for submitting a compelling We Love Libraries grant application, quoted below, highlighting the reasons the library should win the $500 award.

“Our library serves a remarkably diverse community, and we are committed to representing a wide range of voices and perspectives in our collection. We have a strong track record of organizing literary programs and events that foster a love for reading among our patrons. Winning this grant would enable us to enhance these initiatives. [The library also has] established partnerships with local schools and educational institutions [and] implemented innovative outreach strategies to connect with our community. The grant would facilitate the development of creative initiatives to promote the new adult authors' collection and encourage widespread participation.”

If you would like to visit or make a donation to support The William McGill Public Library, the library’s address is 732 South Pat Thomas Parkway, Quincy, FL  32351.

(Photo caption: From left to right: Clare Graham, Library Director; Heather Harmon, Library Services Assistant; and Tina Bell, Library Services Manager. ) 
 
In addition to lending books from the library’s collection to promote literacy, Malvern-Hot Spring County Library, “gives away children’s books at local community events. Kids enrolled in the library’s Birthday Club also receive a free book annually until they turn eighteen. They pick these up either at the library or at local area daycares, Head Start centers, local schools, or bookmobile stops. The average median household income in the county is about $20,000 lower than the US average. Festival giveaways and the library’s Birthday Club may be one of the few times a year local kids get new books.”  
 
The $500 WLL grant will be used to purchase books for local festival giveaways and the library’s Birthday Book Club.  

The Third Annual Survey Offers Insight into Member

Publishing, Reading, Writing, and Marketing Activities

November 27, 2023- Today Sisters in Crime released the 2022 Business of Books Survey Report. The report focused on member writing, reading, reviewing and marketing activities in short and long form fiction and non-fiction during the 2022 calendar year.

“The report continues to provide valuable information about the activities of our members and the activities that they find most meaningful,” says Kia Dennis, Monitoring Liaison.

The Business of Books Survey was distributed to all members of Sisters in Crime in early 2022. It asked questions pertaining to six areas: reading activities, writing activities, short fiction and short nonfiction publications, book length fiction and book length nonfiction publications, author activities and member identities.

Interesting findings include:

• As was the case last year, the majority of members made between $1-$999 in 2022.
• Of the members who published books in 2022, the vast majority (94.5%) published between 1-5 books.
• 37% of members have published between one and five short stories during their career.
• Most members continue to prefer reading paperbacks to all other formats.
• Of members who write reviews, Amazon was their preferred platform.
• Facebook was the platform used by most authors (89%), closely followed by Goodreads (57%), Twitter (61%), and Instagram (56%).

Sisters in Crime will distribute the 2023 Business of Books Survey to members in January 2024 with plans to publish the results of that survey in in Fall/Winter 2024.

The 2022 Business of Books Report can be found at https://www.sistersincrime.org/2022BoBS

Sisters in Crime to Celebrate Crime Fiction Writing Community  

• SinC Author Search that anyone can use to find novels and short stories written by SinC authors, or a speaker for a conference or event. The database can be searched by name, location, book or short story title, genre, series name, or speaking topics.
• Its vast archives of webinars and tips available to members.
• Classes, webinars and workshops on writing, publishing, selling, and promotion that are open to everyone, but the archives can only be accessed by members.
• Grants to emerging writers, libraries, booksellers and more.

To learn more about We Love SinC day, go here.

Photo caption: “The Butler Did It,” application photo shows Library Director Marisol Vidales outlined on the floor as “the victim,” surrounded by books by SinC member authors, including the one brandished by “the butler,” library staff member Tristan Garza, with his skeleton sidekick Edgar Allan Poe. 

The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library was named for physician and civil rights leader for Mexican American rights, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984. Dr. Garcia was from Mercedes, Texas.

Per the WLL application, the library “serves the city of Mercedes, Texas, home to a little over 16,500 residents. The library offers a variety of programs and services like digital skills classes, bilingual story time, book club, and STEM activities. Staff participate in numerous outreach events with migrant and seasonal farmworker families.”

The $500 We Love Libraries grant will go towards purchasing large print mystery and romance titles for the collection.

https://cityofmercedes.com/library/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.HectorP.GarciaMemorialLibrary/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dhpgml/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/DHPGML

Page 158 Books

Wake Forest, North Carolina

Owner Suzanne Lucey described the history of her ownership of the store to SinC WLB Coordinator Robin Agnew. Page 158 Books opened on July 1, 2015, exactly six weeks after Suzanne walked into the former Storytellers Bookstore and said she wanted to own a bookstore. She changed the name and gradually added more and more books. Two years later, she and her husband bought the space they are in now. Six years after that, they expanded the shop, (which opened just last week) and now have a well-established cafe in the new space, along with a non-fiction section. They are in the process of adding writing workshops, author events, and live music.

Many people ask about the origin of the bookstore’s name. Possible answers are:

• Fahrenheit 451’s number of pages. 
• It’s the original address of the bookstore. 
• It’s Suzanne’s IQ. 
• It’s how many dates Suzanne and David went on before they married.

(Despite our best efforts, Suzanne would not provide the answer to the question and left it a mystery for all of us mystery lovers to figure out.)

The $500 WLB award will go towards “putting books in the hands of kids.”

Photo Caption: Former New Milford Library staff are pictured with books by SinC member authors, Walking on My Grave by Carolyn Hart, Bad Blood by Dana Stabenow, Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen, and No Witness But the Moon by Suzanne Chazin.

The New Milford Public Library opened in 1936 as a subscription library with 75 founding members. At that time, annual subscriptions cost $1.00. Today, the library serves more than 9,000 patrons and circulates in excess of 180,000 items per year.

The $500 We Love Libraries grant will go toward purchasing large print mystery titles. Congratulations to the New Milford Public Library!

An exceptionally diverse coalition of creative workers including the National Writers Union (NWU) and other writers, illustrators, photographers, graphic artists, digital media workers, journalists, novelists, playwrights, composers, and songwriters today issued a joint call for action to redress the damage being done by copying of our creative work, without our permission and without compensation, to develop generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) systems.

Here's the entire statement.

Per the owner Teri Parks, "Wordsmith Bookshoppe carries 18,000 titles of new books, 1500 titles of magazines, and literary-themed gifts. We cater to book lovers. And we absolutely LOVE our local authors—carrying about 75 authors with close to 200 titles. We are living our dream and believe that any author should have the same opportunity.”

Pictured: Owner Teri Parks

Website: www.wordsmithbookshoppe.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Wordsmith-Bookshoppe-2301479029928311/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/wordsmithbookshoppe/

PHOTO CAPTION: Library Director, Rene Cressy is pictured with books by SinC member authors

The West Rutland Free Library is a small rural library located in West Rutland, Vermont. Per the application, the library, “buys used books for the collection to save on the budget. [The local school system’s] afterschool program closed, so we have many more children coming to the library. They need a safe place to be for a few hours, and we make them feel welcome. We treat the children as individuals and find crafts and supplies they may like according to their interests. We will try just about anything to get kids in the door and work on showing them how reading is fun. We have Craft and Lego Clubs twice weekly and offer children great crafts to make, bring home and be proud of. Our after-school clubs are very popular, and we need supplies to keep up!”

The $500 We Love Libraries grant will go toward purchasing children’s books and craft supplies for the afterschool clubs and programs. Congratulations to West Rutland Free Library!

Website: www.westrutlandfreelibrary.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/westrutlandlibrary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       Contact: Julie Hennrikus

June 20, 2023                                                                                     Sisters in Crime

                                                                                                            ed@sistersincrime.org

2023 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award Winners Announced

June 20, 2023 — Sisters in Crime (SinC), an inclusive international community for all who write and love crime fiction, has announced the winner of the annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color.

The winner of the 2023 Award is Nicole Prewitt of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her winning submission, “Harts Divided”, follows Neema Hart, a black, bisexual thief-turned-P.I., who owns a detective agency and therapy office with her estranged wife, Genie Hart. When what should be a bread-and-butter infidelity case results in unsuspecting women getting burned, in more ways than one. The Harts are pushed to prove their commitment to their clients, their community, and each other.

“I’m honestly so excited that opportunities like this exist and feel incredibly honored to have received the 2023 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award,” says Prewitt. “Writing a novel can be such a long process, and this has provided me with encouragement to see it through to the end.”

Established in 2014, The Eleanor Taylor Bland Award is strongly aligned with SinC’s mission to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of current and prospective members and intends to support a recipient at the beginning of their crime writing career. The grantee may choose to apply the grant toward workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities to assist in completion of their work. Prewitt’s story was selected from over 60 submissions by 2023 judges Shizuka Otake — winner of the award in 2022 — plus novelists R. Franklin James and Andrea J. Johnson

“We couldn’t have asked for a more talented group of participants,” says Johnson. “It was an absolute pleasure to experience the captivating ways these writers have chosen to broaden and reinvent the crime genre.

Judge Shizuka Otake agrees. “Reading the entries reminded me that there are so many different voices and stories. And they can all be compelling.”

In addition to Prewitt’s 2023 achievement, SinC has also awarded five runners-up a year-long membership to the organization. Recipients were Josette Covington (Wilmington, Delaware), Ann Harris (Atlanta, Georgia), Kathryn Harrison (Bingham Farms, Michigan), Karabi Mitra (Toronto, Ontario), and Deena Short (Stonecrest, Georgia).

—   30 —

About Eleanor Taylor Bland:

Eleanor Taylor Bland (1944-2010) paved the way for fresh voices in crime fiction by showcasing complex characters that had previously been peripheral to or simply missing from the genre. Dead Time (1992), the first in her series of novels, introduced African-American police detective Marti MacAlister, an enduring and beloved heroine who overturned stereotypes that had been perpetuated in much of American popular culture. Bland also published more than 50 works of short crime fiction and edited the 2004 collection, Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors.

About Sisters in Crime:

Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 4,000 members and 59 chapters worldwide and its initiatives also include other scholarships, grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace.

About the Judges:

Rae James (R. Franklin James) has published seven mysteries, winning a best fiction award from Northern California Publishers and Authors. Her six-book Hollis Morgan Mysteries was sold to A&E/Lifetime for a TV movie series released last year.  The Inheritance, a Publishers Weekly acclaimed novel, is the first book in her new Johanna Hudson Mystery series, followed by Look Twice (2022). James currently serves as Chair on the Bouchercon National Board, a world-wide mystery convention. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America and Northern California Publishers and Authors. James lives in Northern California.

Andrea J. Johnson is the author of the Victoria Justice Mysteries about a trial stenographer turned amateur sleuth (think Murder, She Wrote meets The Pelican Brief). She holds an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and a copyediting certification from UC San Diego. She currently teaches creative writing and African American literature at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and her craft essays have appeared on several websites such as CrimeReads and LitReactor. Andrea has also contributed to the women’s lifestyle websites Popsugar and The List Daily. In addition, she has written a series of nonfiction books that include How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery, Mastering the Art of Suspense, and How to Craft Killer Dialogue.

Shizuka Otake is a writer born in New York City. In her 20s, she lived in Tokyo for four years, and now wishes she had a magic door so she could commute between the two cities. She loves mystery novels, Japanese TV, and traveling – a.k.a. prowling bookstores and eating. Shizuka writes about identity, the lies we tell for love, and the need to find home. In 2022, she won Sisters in Crime’s Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award. Her unpublished novel Murder in Tokyo features Ayu Amita, a Japanese American teen hunting down a classmate’s killer in Tokyo.

Dr. Heidi Tiedemann Darroch is working on a book-length project, Louise Penny and the Landscape of Canadian Women’s Crime Fiction. “I am currently in the early stages of a research project on Canadian women’s mystery fiction which seeks to locate Louise Penny’s writings within a bilingual tradition that is attentive to developments abroad,” she says.

Vaibhav Iype Parel’s project title is Exploring Indian-American Diasporic Crime in the Fiction of Nev March and Sujata Massey. The work will “examine how [Anglophone diasporic crime fiction – written by authors of Indian descent who are based in the Global North] challenges the paradigmatic frame of the nation and nationhood, and responds to questions of diasporic belonging and representation.

Full reports on the impact of the grant on their research will be submitted by the end of the year. SinC congratulates Dr. Heidi Tiedemann Darroch and Vaibhav Iype Parel. We also thank them for adding to our understanding of the crime fiction genre.

SinC is able to do what we do because of our teams of volunteers. We’re grateful to this committee for their work.

Streaming services have disrupted the business model, and AI will continue that disruption. The industry is moving toward a gig/freelance model, rather than a professional model where writers can make a living.

We have members of SinC who are also members of WGA, and we support those members. In addition, this strike speaks to several issues that impact authors. As media becomes more consolidated, changes impact a wider industry. Payments for residuals, monitoring the use of AI, paying people for rewrites, paying a writers’ room on salary, treating writers like the vital part of the process rather than a talent that can be gigged in as needed, all of these issues are what are being discussed. AI, for example, is an issue that will affect us all, and this strike will help create some guidelines for how the technology is used, and trained.

Sisters in Crime stands in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America.

Marcus Books

Oakland, CA

The bookstore’s founders, Drs. Raye and Julian Richardson met at Tuskegee University which they both attended. In 1946 Julian started Success Printing Co. in the Fillmore District of San Francisco and in 1960, the two founded Marcus Books (named after political activist and author Marcus Garvey). Together — and through both the publishing press and bookstore — they fiercely advocated for Black history, exchange, and knowledge of self. They published now canonical books (that had before their resurrection gone out of print) and work by independent authors, poets, and artists. Marcus Books is an institution where those who have written books, produced visual work and more can see themselves on a shelf, wall or counter surrounded by other Black makers.

60 years since its opening, the bookstore has become a literary and cultural hallmark that has hosted iconic authors including Toni Morrison, Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Walter Mosley, Angela Davis, Terry McMillan, Chaka Khan, Michael Eric Dyson, Iyanla Vanzant, Sister Souljah, Nikki Giovanni, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patti LaBelle and so many more of our treasured voices. Just as important are the bookclubs, intimate poetry readings, and countless customer conversations that unfold at Marcus.

Alongside Marcus Books’ legacy of Black publishing is an investment in nourishing Black readership, no matter what age. Generations of families have grown up in the store: the student coming to find course material, our incarcerated brothers and sisters writing to put in book orders, the parents who bring their children to the store much like their parents did for/with them. World renowned author or prophetic local poet, elder or toddler, Marcus Books has provided something for you.

Website: www.marcusbooks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marcus.books
Twitter: twitter.com/marcusbooks
Instagram: www.instagram.com/marcus.books

Sisters in Crime, a Mystery Writers Group Hosts Auction Benefiting the Innocence Project 

Sisters in Crime, an association of authors who specialize in writing stories about justice are banding together to champion real-life justice. From May 18-21, 2023, the international writing group will host an online auction to support the Innocence Project, a non-profit that works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone.

Sisters in Crime aims to raise $35,000 for the Innocence Project. Writers and agents have donated various items of interest to crime novel fans, including signed books, the chance to name a character in an upcoming book, consultations, and manuscript critiques. 

Fans can bid on the coat worn by Brenda Blethyn, who plays Vera Stanhope on TV in a role created by bestselling mystery author Ann Cleeves. They can also bid on a 50-page critique by Tracy Clark (Hide) or name a character in a future book by bestselling author Michael Connelly, author of the bestselling Harry Bosch series. Potential bidders can visit the site to see all the items and place a bid.

The Innocence Project is well known for using DNA evidence to overturn wrongful convictions. Their policy work addresses each of the contributing factors to wrongful convictions: eyewitness misidentification, misapplication of forensic science, false confessions, unreliable jailhouse informant testimony, and inadequate defense.

Press contact:

Kevin Lampe (312) 617-7280
kevin@kurthlampe.com

Download the press release here!

Williams Public Library in Williams, Arizona!

PHOTO CAPTION: From left to right, the building inspector and library programs assistant, Stacey Foss; library grants administrator, Joanna Dahm; and library director, Danielle Sanders, are pictured with a selection of books by Sisters in Crime member authors. 

Per the application, “The Williams Public Library serves a small rural community in Northern Arizona with a population of 3300. The library sees many more patrons from our tourism industry. The City of Williams is known as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. Our library strives to bring a wide variety of books to our patrons, from our little ones to our senior community. We pride ourselves on showing support by encouraging creativity and imagination.” 

The $500 We Love Libraries grant will go toward purchasing young adult and junior mystery titles.

The Dorothy Cannell Scholarship offers $1,000 annually to enable one member of the Sisters in Crime Guppies chapter to attend Malice Domestic. For author Dorothy Cannell, as for so many others, meeting mystery readers and writers at the annual Malice Domestic Conference in Bethesda, Maryland had a lasting impact on her writing and her life. This scholarship, named for Dorothy and supported by an anonymous benefactor in honor of one of the most enduring author/agent partnerships in mystery publishing, is intended to offer another writer the same transformative opportunity.

Upon receiving the news that she won this year's scholarship, Kate Michaelson said "I'm so grateful that SinC offered this wonderful opportunity in the first place and just ecstatic to have been selected".

SinC is grateful to the sponsor of this scholarship for providing this opportunity to a Guppy member.

About Kate:

Growing up in rural Ohio, Kate Michaelson simultaneously developed a love of the natural world and a strong desire to live closer to a mall. Her writing uses humor and mystery to explore women’s experiences with chronic illness. Her debut mystery, HIDDEN ROOMS (coming in 2024) follows a woman who returns to her Midwestern hometown and must clear her brother of a murder charge while also seeking answers to her own medical mystery. Kate works as a curriculum designer and holds a PhD in Educational Psychology. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and trying (fruitlessly) to tire out her Labrador mix She currently lives with her husband and pets in Toledo, Ohio. You can connect with her online at www.katemichaelson.com.  

PHOTO CAPTION: Adult Services Manager, Dominic Igiebor, is pictured with a selection of Sisters in Crime member authors’ books, adorned with googly eyes, playing all the roles in a crime scene. 

The Braddock Carnegie Library was the first Carnegie library built in the United States. The library is housed in the original building from 1889, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

The library serves a community of 14,000 people, and per the WLL application, the $500 WLL grant will be used to purchase large print materials and audiobooks for the library’s satellite location in the Senior Community Center, “where the patrons are avid mystery and true crime readers.”

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BraddockCarnegieLibrary
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braddocklibrary/

SISTERS IN CRIME RELEASES 2021 SURVEY DATA ON THE BUSINESS OF BOOKS

The Second Year of the Survey Offers More Information About Publishing, Reading, Writing, Marketing and More 

January 18, 2023 — Sisters in Crime released their second annual Business of Books Survey Report, focusing on member information about writing activities, reading activities, long and short fiction, long and short non-fiction, marketing, and publishing in 2021.

“Though the time period of the survey still covers the pandemic, the information, when compared to the 2020 data, offers insights into our members’ experiences,” Julie Hennrikus, Executive Director of Sister in Crime says. Additionally, “this snapshot of who we are and how we work provides valuable data as we decide where we go next,”  says Delia Pitts, Monitoring Liaison.

The Business of Books Survey was sent out to all Sisters in Crime members, asking sixty questions that delved into six areas: reading activities, writing activities, short fiction and nonfiction publications, book-length fiction and nonfiction publications, author activities, and member identities. Interesting data from the report includes:

• 51% of respondents reported making less than $1000 per year
• Word of mouth is the most popular way of discovering new books
• Amazon and Goodreads are the top two places people both read and write reviews
• Most members used Facebook (89%), followed by Twitter, Goodreads and Instagram

Sisters in Crime will survey their members again this January, and will continue to gather information over the coming years. “The Business of Books Survey is an invaluable opportunity to gather the vast wealth of experience from our community. It offers sharp insight into modern publishing, showcases our fellow writers' activities, and helps us to better understand and serve our members,” says Jennifer J. Chow, SinC Board President. 

***

The complete Business of Books 2021 Survey Report can be found at https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/2021BoBS

Download the press release here.

Download the report here.

Matheson Memorial Library in Elkhorn, WI!

Matheson Memorial Library, located in downtown Elkhorn, serves 5,828 residents and 5,620 non-resident borrowers. Per the WLL application, “We revised our reading programs during Covid to virtual and take-home programs. With the help of the grant, we are hoping to reach more patrons and make these programs interesting and exciting for all.” The $500 grant will be used to purchase materials and books for the adults’ and children's reading programs.

PHOTO CAPTION: Behind the crime scene, library staff are pictured with books by Sisters in Crime member authors!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElkhornLibrary

SISTERS IN CRIME ANNOUNCES WINNER OF THE 2022 PRIDE AWARD

In its second year, the award benefits an emerging LGBTQ+ writer in the crime fiction genre and five runners-up

Nov 7, 2022 — – Sisters in Crime (SinC) announced today that the winner of their 2022 Pride Award for emerging LGBTQIA+ writers is Sarah St. Asaph (she/hers) of London, England. Her winning novel-in-progress is a contemporary medical-legal crime mystery where a young lawyer is given the chance to re-examine the evidence against a former hospital doctor that has been convicted as Britain’s worst ever female serial killer. The novel explores how women are treated within the criminal justice system and plays with the prejudices and preconceptions they face as perpetrators of crimes.

Selected from 58 entries by judges (and SinC members) Dean James, Brenda Buchanan and Leslie Karst, Asaph will receive a $2,000 grant intended for a beginning crime writer to support activities related to career development, including workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of their work. Asaph has also been awarded a manuscript critique from Crooked Lane Books editor Terri Bischoff and a membership to Sisters in Crime and its online chapter for beginning writers. The Pride Award is a legacy project of Sisters in Crime past president Sherry Harris.

“I’m a huge admirer of the ethos of Sisters in Crime,” said Asaph. “As a lifelong lover of crime and mystery literature, I believe anything that encourages diversity of voices in our genre is something to be celebrated. Our genre is not just thrilling to read, but the perfect vehicle to explore the most fascinating questions about human nature and contemporary society. What happens when we are pushed to our limits? How does justice interweave with everyday morality? For me, these questions are particularly pertinent for women and members of the queer community, and I aim to explore these within my work.”

Five runners-up will also be paired with an established Sisters in Crime member author to receive a manuscript critique. They are: C. Jean Downer of White Rock, British Columbia (paired with Cheryl Head), Diane Carmony of La Quinta, CA (Jeffrey Marks), Roy Udeh-Ubaka of Gainesville, FL (Anne Laughlin), Marle Redfern of New England (John Copenhaver) and Elaine Westnott-O’Brien of Tramore, Co. Waterford, Ireland (Catherine Maiorisi).

Publicity contact: Samantha Lien, Kaye Publicity 720-425-3933; samantha@kayepublicity.com

Download the press release here.