Art Taylor's Blog, page 82

Short Story Program: Central Virginia Sisters in Crime

On Saturday, October 22, I’ll be presenting a short story program for the Central Virginia Chapter of Sisters in Crime. “Sharp, Succinct, & Suspenseful: Crafting the Mystery Short Story” takes place 11 a.m to 1 p.m. at the Twin Hickory Library, 5011 Twin Hickory Road, Glen Allen, Virginia.

The Central Virginia Chapter of SinC already knows short fiction, of course; along with the Mystery by the Sea SinC chapter from Southeastern Virginia, they’ve produced two volumes of the anthology series Virginia is for Mysteries. But I hope I can add something to the conversation!

Here’s a quick summary of my plans for the talk:

What makes a mystery? How do you build suspense? Where can I sell my crime story?  From detective fiction to domestic suspense to hard-hitting noir, various subgenres of the mystery offer different challenges for building on tradition and meeting reader expectations. This workshop will examine some specific passages from published crime fiction and look at how they keep aspects of the story in balance: strong prose as much as a fast-paced plot, compelling characters as much as a cleverly solved crime. A discussion of the ever-evolving market for mystery stories will conclude the session.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here or the chapter’s homepage here. See you on Saturday!

Reading, Reading, Reading

In my blog post this week at SleuthSayers, I take cues from fellow authors Cynthia Kuhn and Patti Abbott to talk about how and where and when I read—and what I’ve been reading lately or have waiting on my TBR pile.

Meanwhile, this week also brought the cover reveal for the upcoming Malice Domestic anthology Murder Most Historical—which accounted for much of my reading this past summer! Along with Martin Edwards and Kathy Lynn Emerson, I was part of the selection committee for the book, reading and scoring more than 100 submissions in order to come up with a final slate of stories. So thrilled with the list of stories that made the grade—such a terrific group of authors here:

“A One-Pipe Problem” by John Betancourt
“The Trial of Madame Pelletier” by Susanna Calkins
“Eating Crow” by Carla Coupe
“The Lady’s Maid Vanishes” by Susan Daly
“Judge Lu’s Ming Dynasty Case Files-The Unseen Opponent” by P.A. De Voe
“Honest John Finds a Way” by Michael Dell
“Spirited Death” by Carole Nelson Douglas
“The Corpse Candle” by Martin Edwards
“Mistress Threadneedle’s Quest” by Kathy Lynn Emerson
“The Black Hand” by Peter Hayes
“Crim Con” by Nancy Herriman
“Hand of an Angry God” by KB Inglee
“The Barter” by Su Kopil
“Tredegar Murders” by Vivian Lawry
“The Tragic Death of Mrs. Edna Fogg” by Edith Maxwell
“A Butler is Born” by Catriona McPherson
“Home Front Homicide” by Liz Milliron
“He Done Her Wrong” by Kathryn O’Sullivan
“Summons for a Dead Girl” by K.B. Owen
“Mr. Nakamura’s Garden” by Valerie O Patterson
“The Velvet Slippers” by Keenan Powell
“The Blackness Before Me” by Mindy Quigley
“Death on the Dueling Grounds” by Verena Rose
“You Always Hurt the One You Love” by Shawn Reilly Simmons
“Night and Fog” by Marcia Talley
“The Measured Chest” by Mark Thielman
“The Killing Game” by Victoria Thompson
“The Cottage” by Charles Todd
“The Seven” by Elaine Viets
“Strong Enough” by Georgia Wilson

Malice Domestic 12: Mystery Most Historical, presented by Charlaine Harris and edited by Verena Rose, Rita Owen, and Shawn Reilly Simmons, will be published by Wildside Press in time for Malice 29, April 28-30, 2017.

New Fiction in EQMM

The November 2016 issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, out this week, includes my story “The Great Detective Reflects,” a very short piece of fiction inspired by my thoughts on Sherlock Holmes, if not directly by the Holmes character himself. That distinction might be too fine for me to explain effectively, but I hope that the resulting story proves successful—in its musings, in its tone, maybe even emotionally somehow.

The full issue—part of EQMM‘s 75th anniversary year and this month celebrating the magazine’s critics and scholars—also features fiction by Anthony Boucher (from the archives!), Simon Brett, Dana Cameron, Meg Opperman, and more, plus essays by Jon L. Breen and Martin Edwards.

As Janet Hutchings explains in her column “From the Editor’s Desk,” “EQMM‘s distinction in the critical realm goes back to the very beginning. Founding editor Frederic Dannay was himself a leading mystery historian/critic, compiling (as Ellery Queen, with Manfred B. Lee) such works as Queen’s Quorum: A History of the Detective-Crime Short Story as Revealed by the 125 Most Important Books Published in This Field Since 1845. The belief Dannay and Lee held that the mystery deserved serious critical attention was one of the driving forces behind EQMM….”

The new issue celebrates that history as well as writers whose fiction is matched by their critical writings—and I’m honored to be among them.

Looking Ahead, Looking Back

After a long run of events—the kick-off for Wake County Libraries’ Margaret Maron celebration, Bouchercon, Fall for the Book, and then our Storm Warning program this past weekend (inaptly timed with actual storm warnings further south)—the weekend ahead looks blissfully free of book events, though admittedly I’m sorry to miss another celebration for Margaret Maron, her induction this Sunday, October 16, into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame (see the nice article here in the Raleigh New & Observer surveying her career and previewing the event).

Still, there are plenty of events further ahead—so here’s a quick preview of programs I’m part of in coming months:

Saturday, October 15: A short story talk for the Central Virginia Chapter of Sisters in Crime—Twin Hickory Library, Glen Allen, VA
Saturday, October 29: Sisters in Crime Chesapeake Chapter Author Showcase—The Writer’s Center, Bethesda, MD
Friday, November 6: A craft talk on creating characters for The Writer’s Center’s Leesburg First Friday program—Leesburg Town Hall, Leesburg, VA
Sunday, November 6: A program on crafting short mystery fiction at the NC Writers’ Network’s Fall Conference—Crabtree Marriott, Raleigh, NC
Saturday, December 3: Sisters in Crime Chesapeake Chapter Author Showcase (No. 2!)—Reston Regional Library, Reston, VA

The NCWN Fall Conference promises to be tremendous for a number of reasons, with guests of honor Margaret Maron (she’s everywhere!) and Shelby Stevenson among many, many others. The Network has recently published the full schedule of events in their newsletter here and opened up registration here. I’d encourage folks to register now, of course, and hope you’ll sign-up for my program on Sunday at 11 a.m.: “Sharp, Succinct & Suspenseful: Crafting the Mystery Story.” Here’s the description:

What makes a mystery? How do you build suspense? Where can I sell my crime story? Award-winning mystery writer Art Taylor will offer tips for writing and marketing short mystery stories. From detective fiction to domestic suspense to hard-hitting noir, various subgenres of the mystery offer different challenges for building on tradition and meeting reader expectations. This workshop will examine some specific passages from published crime fiction and look at how they keep aspects of the story in balance: strong prose as much as a fast-paced plot, compelling characters as much as a cleverly solved crime. A discussion of the ever-evolving market for mystery stories will conclude the session.

With that look ahead, here’s a recap as well of recent blog posts—where I’ve been on the web.

At SleuthSayers: “Anthologies Everywhere”—including a recap of events at Fall for the Book, a celebration of the forthcoming Malice Domestic anthology, and a bit about two anthologies I’ve been associated with recently
At Criminal Minds on how film inspire writing—including a clip from Catch Me If You Can
At the Washington Independent Review of Books on books I read en route to and from Bouchercon—including Brendan DuBois’s collaboration with James Patterson, a graphic novel adaptation of an Ace Atkins’ short story, and yet another anthology building on the paintings of Edward Hopper

See you soon, I hope—online or in person!

 

Just Published! Best American Mystery Stories

This year’s Best American Mystery Stories, published Tuesday, October 4, features for the first time one of my own stories—a bucket-list kind of honor indeed! And adding even more to my excitement and pride, the anthology also celebrates two other stories with which I was associated as an editor. Frankly, I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Back in January, when I got the email that “Rearview Mirror,” the opening story in my novel in stories On the Road with Del & Louise, had been selected by Elizabeth George and Otto Penzler for inclusion in the 2016 Best American Mystery Stories, I could hardly believe it—and, in fact, over recent months, I kept waiting for someone along the way to change their mind about including it! Only when I saw the final product recently did I fully believe this was happening—really a dream come true.

During that time between announcement and publication, I also learned that Tom Franklin’s story “Christians,” which appeared in Murder Under the Oaks: Bouchercon Anthology 2015, an anthology I edited, had also been selected for inclusion; admittedly, I can take zero credit for that story’s brilliance—I don’t remember making a single suggestion or request as I shepherded it into the Bouchercon anthology—but it felt terrific to have that anthology celebrated here somehow. And then when I saw the final copy of BAMS, I discovered that another story from Murder Under the Oaks—Sean Doolittle’s “Driftwood”—has been listed in the appendix “Other Distinguished Mystery Stories of 2015.” Wow! It was a great privilege to work with both those authors, and it’s a privilege now to see them—and our anthology on the whole—earn such attention.

And then to think of the company we’re all keeping—with a table of contents that also includes Megan Abbott and Stephen King and Elmore Leonard and…. Well, simply put, I can hardly believe the good fortune, on all counts.

The full table of contents for the 2016 BAMS also includes stories by Steve Almond, Matt Bell, Bruce Robert Coffin, Lydia Fitzpatrick, Evan Lewis, Robert Lopresti, Dennis McFadden, Michael Noll, Todd Robinson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Georgia Ruth, Jonathan Stone, Susan Thornton, Brian Tobin, and Saral Waldorf.

Congratulations to everyone here—I’m overjoyed to be sharing space with you all!

Storm Warning Program: Saturday, October 8

On Saturday, October 8, the Burke Centre Library in Burke, VA will host nine contributors to Chesapeake Crimes: Storm Warning to read brief excerpts from their stories and discuss the anthology overall—the latest volume from the award-winning series produced by the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime. The program begins at 2 p.m.

Participants include Shaun Taylor Bevins, Linda Ensign, Barb Goffman, Adam Meyer, Alan S. Orloff, KM Rockwood, Marianne Wilski Strong, Robin Templeton, and me. Scrawl Books of Reston will be on hand for sales of the anthology, as well as other books by participating authors.

The official Facebook event page is here, and the Burke Library sign-up page is here—but all are welcome to join without pre-registration. Hope to see you there!

Fall for the Book Continues

After a fun Sisters in Crime panel on Fall for the Book‘s opening day, the festival continues with a number of mystery and suspense readings and discussions throughout the rest of the week—and I’m pleased to be taking part in a couple of them: introducing Elizabeth Hand on Monday, September 25, and moderating the Mystery Writers of America panel on Thursday, September 29.

The full week’s crime fiction programs include:

Elizabeth Hand, author the Cass Neary mystery series, Monday, Sept. 26, 1:30 p.m., Sandy Spring Bank Tent, Johnson Center North Plaza, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA
Colleen Shogan, author of the Washington Whodunit Series, and T. Dasu, author of the Spy, Interrupted Series, Monday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m., Research Hall, Room 163, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA
Allison Leotta, author most recently of The Last Good Girl, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 12 p.m. Sandy Spring Bank Tent, Johnson Center North Plaza, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA
Mystery Writers of America, Mid-Atlantic Chapter Mystery Panel with Maya Corrigan, Dan Fesperman, Shawn Reilly Simmons, and David Swinson, Thursday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m., Merten Hall, Room 1203, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Lyndsay Faye, author of Jane Steele, Thursday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m., Merten Hall, Room 1203, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA

For more information on these events—or to check out the full schedule, with more than 150 authors in all—visit fallforthebook.org.

Fall for the Book: Mystery & Suspense

This Sunday, September 25, kicks off the six-day Fall for the Book Festival at George Mason University and at locations throughout Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland. This year, the festival has a strong line-up of mystery and suspense events, and I’m pleased to be part of a couple of panels as a moderator; see below. The full schedule of crime fiction programming also includes appearances by Edith Maxwell (a preview event on Saturday, September 24), by Colleen Shogan and T. Dasu (on Monday, September 26), by Allison Leotta (on Tuesday, September 27), and by Lyndsay Faye (on Thursday, September 29).

Here’s where I’ll be part of the program myself:

Sunday, Sept. 25, 4 p.m. • Sisters in Crime: Mystery Writers Panel (I’m moderating the program)

Sherwood Center, 3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA

Three regional chapters of Sisters in Crime join forces to discuss—and celebrate!—their recent anthologies of mystery fiction: Chesapeake Crimes: Storm Warning (from the Chesapeake Chapter) andVirginia is for Mysteries, Volume 2 (from the Central and Southeastern Virginia Chapters). Editors and contributors include Donna Andrews, Diane Davidson (half of the writing duo Maddi Davidson), Maria Hudgins, and Heather Weidner. Sisters in Crime is a national organization whose mission is “to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers.”

Monday, Sept. 26, 1:30 p.m. • Elizabeth Hand (I’m introducing her)

Sandy Spring Bank Tent, Johnson Center North Plaza, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Elizabeth Hand is the author of the crime novels that follow off-beat, punk photographer Cass Nealy, who has been described as “one of literature’s great noir anti-heroes.” Hard Light,the newest book in the series, finds Cass on the run, fearing for her life after her boyfriend disappears. Publisher’s Weekly praises Cass for “conveying an expert’s knowledge of the 1970s East Village punk scene, Iron Age rituals, Paleolithic icons, and the intricacies of photography and film noir…. Gripping.”

Thursday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m. • Mystery Writers of America, Mid-Atlantic Chapter Mystery Writers Panel (I’m moderating the panel)

Merten Hall, Room 1203, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Maya Corrigan’s Five-Ingredient Mystery series is a blend of rich flavor and suspense. She is a winner of the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Unpublished Mystery / Suspense. Her newest book is Final Fondue. Shawn Reilly Simmons is the author of the Red Carpet Catering mystery series, which “delivers a buffet of appealing characters, irresistible movie-industry details, and tantalizing plot twists.” The third book in the series is Murder on a Designer Diet.David Swinson’s recent novel The Second Girl is one of Booklist’s Best Crime Novels of the Year, called a “gritty knockout debut that screams for a series.” Dan Fesperman is the author of the new atmospheric literary thriller, The Letter Writer, set in Manhattan in 1942, just months after Pearl Harbor. Sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America Mid-Atlantic Chapter.

For complete information on the festival, visit www.fallforthebook.org.

Bouchercon Update: Anthony Award Win for Best Anthology

I’m back now from Bouchercon and thrilled that Murder Under the Oaks: Bouchercon Anthology 2015 won this year’s Anthony Award for Best Anthology or Collection—an honor I was proud to accept on behalf of the book’s 21 terrific contributors: J.L. Abramo, J.D. Allen, Lori Armstrong, Rob Brunet, P.A. De Voe, Sean Doolittle, Tom Franklin, Toni Goodyear, Kristin Kisska, Robert Lopresti, Robert Mangeot, Margaret Maron, Kathleen Mix, Britni Patterson, Karen Pullen, Ron Rash, Karen E. Salyer, Sarah Shaber, Zoë Sharp, B.K. Stevens, and Graham Wynd.

The anthology, published by Down & Out Books, was my first turn as the editor of a collection, and the entire project stands out as one of my all-time favorite experiences. While the past year has certainly featured many memories, including the publication of my own first book, there’s a different kind of pleasure in spotlighting and celebrating the work of other writers—myriad pleasures, in fact, given the range of talents here: outstanding veteran authors including Margaret Maron and Tom Franklin, first-time writers including Kristin Kisska and Karen E. Salyer, and friends whose fiction I’ve long appreciated, including Robert Lopresti, Sarah Shaber, and B.K. Stevens. Gathering these and other writers together in this volume was simply a treat—a collection as diverse and dynamic as the range of authors. Our book launch and signing at the Raleigh Bouchercon was a thrill—a blast of enthusiasm from a standing-room-only crowd. And accepting the Anthony celebrating these stories was a great honor. Congratulations to all the contributors!

And congratulations too to all the other distinguished finalists in this category: Thomas Pluck, editor of Protectors 2; Todd Robinson, editor of Thuglit Presents Cruel Yule; Kenneth Wishnia, editor of Jewish Noir; and especially Christopher Irvin, whose outstanding debut collection, Safe Inside the Violence, was the only single-author collection among the nominees, a tremendous achievement.

While my own debut book, On the Road with Del & Louise, didn’t win either of the awards for which it had been nominated, I had great fun at the awards ceremonies throughout the weekend meeting and catching up with the other finalists: for the Macavity, Patricia Abbott’s Concrete Angel, Glen Erik Hamilton’s Past Crimes, Chris Holm’s The Killing Kind, David Joy’s Where All the Light Tends to Go, and Ausma Zehanat Khan’s The Unquiet Dead; and for the Anthony: Abbott’s Concrete Angel, Hamilton’s Past Crimes, Rob Hart’s New Yorked, and Brian Panowich’s Bull Mountain. And congrats to Glen Hamilton for bringing home both those awards!

The full slate of winners for the Anthony can be found here and for the Macavity here. Additionally, the Barry Award winners are listed here, including Khan’s The Unquiet Dead for Best First Novel, and the Shamus Award winners here, including another Down & Out books author and Murder Under the Oaks contributor, J.L. Abramo, for Best Paperback.

The entire Bouchercon weekend was full of too many other great memories to list all of them here, but a few stood out and are worth mentioning:

Being on the writing groups panel “Me and My Friends”—which included, well, me and my friends: Donna Andrews, Ellen Crosby, John Gilstrap, and Alan Orloff. We had a fun time on stage, and we were all pleased to hear through the weekend from folks in the audience who enjoyed, related to, and learned from some of the stories we told about our critiques and our companionship.
Trying to keep track of the number of times someone called Alan Orloff by my name or me by Alan’s—which happened as well on the panel itself.
Reading (on the flight down) a chunk of my good friend Paula Benson’s manuscript in progress, sharing some time with her in a mini-workshop on that excerpt, hearing about her plans for the rest of the book—which she must finish soon!—and then commemorating her birthday along with Bonnie and Dennis Stevens, Debra Goldstein, Riley Miller, and seven (yes, seven) desserts.
Celebrating the release of Ellen Byron’s second novel, Body on the Bayou—and bonding once more with her and with two other of my fellow Agatha finalists: Cindy Brown and Julianne Holmes, whose encouragement and support I appreciate not just always but in very specific moments. Y’all’s kindness overwhelms.
Bantering with the other finalists at the awards about which of the other nominees was going to win, since none of us expected that we would—proof of the camaraderie we all feel for one another.
And just generally seeing—even if too briefly in some cases—so many friends, fellow writers, and fellow readers that I wish I’d had more time to chat with and wish I saw more often.

Already looking forward to next year’s Bouchercon in Toronto—and on that note, another item for the list above: talking with Janet Costello and Helen Nelson about some plans there to celebrate Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. I can hardly wait!

Bouchercon! And Newsletter!

Except for teaching my classes Monday and Wednesday, this week is all about Bouchercon—and heck, Bouchercon is even on my mind during those classes. (Psst! Don’t tell my students—or my department chair!)

Looking forward to the biggest gathering of writers and readers in the mystery world this week—and excited about the generous attention my work has received this year in terms of being a Macavity finalist and having two books listed on the Anthony ballot. Here’s my own schedule of events, though most of the fun of Bouchercon is seeing folks in-between places throughout the weekend.

Opening Ceremonies, with Macavity Awards Presentation • Thursday, September 15, 6:30 p.m.
“Me and My Friends,” panel on writing groups, with Donna Andrews, Ellen Crosby, John Gilstrap, and Alan Orloff, moderated by Eleanor Cawood Jones • Friday, September 16, 9:30 a.m.
Anthony Awards Presentation • Friday, September 16, 8 p.m.
Sisters in Crime Breakfast • Saturday, September 17, 7:30 a.m.
“Step in Time,” panel on pacing (as moderator), with Sara Blaedel, Suzanne Chazin, Elizabeth Heiter, Reece Hirsch, and Cate Holahan • Saturday, September 17, 4:30 p.m.

This schedule also appears on my new newsletter that debuted this morning—and which you can view online here. If you haven’t signed up, please do subscribe—which will give you the chance to answer the trivia question at the bottom of the newsletter and enter a drawing for a prize including an issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, an issue of The Digest Enthusiast, and a copy of this year’s Best American Mystery Stories anthology. Details through the link!

Look forward to seeing folks in New Orleans!