InSinC the Sisters in Crime quarterly March 2020
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inSinC
the Sisters in Crime quarterly
March 2020
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 1
Mission Statement
inSinC
Promote the ongoing advancement,
recognition, and professional development
of women crime writers.
Board Members The Sisters in Crime Quarterly • March 2020
Lori Rader-Day, President
S.G. Wong, Vice President
inSinc is the official publication of Sisters
Faye Snowden, Secretary
Jacki York, Treasurer in Crime International and is published
Tracee de Hahn, Membership Development Liaison four times a year. One-year dues are $50
Kellye Garret, Member at Large for professional US and Canada writers
Stephanie Gayle, Grants/ACA Coordinator and $40 for non-professionals. Two-year
Chris Goff, Education Liaison
Vanessa Lille, Publicity Chair
dues are $100 and $80; lifetime, $500
Debra H. Goldstein, Monitoring Chair and $400. Address and all other changes
Shari Randall, Library Liaison can be made by members at our website.
Barb Ross, Web Liaison If you do not use a computer or need a
Alec Peche, Chapter Liaison
user name, please contact Next Wave
Sherry Harris, Immediate Past President
Group at the address at left. Information
Next Wave Group in inSinC is submitted or reprinted from
550M Ritchie Hwy #271 sources listed in each article. Where re-
833.492.7463 • 410.544.4640 Fax
©2019 Sisters in Crime International
quired, permission to reprint has been
granted and noted. SinC does not investi-
gate each submission independently and
inSinC
Molly Weston, Editor
articles in no way constitute an endorse-
Marcia Preston, Proofreader ment of products or services offered. No
Margie Bunting, Proofreader material may be reprinted without written
Wrona Gail, Proofreader permission from Sisters in Crime; contact
Priscilla Gruenewald, Proofreader Molly Weston.
Merrillee Robsons, Proofreader
Marisa Young, Proofreader
Past Presidents Sisters in Crime
Sara Paretsky Elaine Raco Chase Kate Grilley Frankie Bailey
1987–88 1995–96 2003–04 2011–12
Nancy Pickard Annette Meyers Patricia Sprinkle Hank Phillippi Ryan
1988–89 1996–97 2004–05 2012–13
Margaret Maron Sue Henry Libby Hellmann Laura DiSilverio
1989–90 1997–98 2005–06 2013–14
Susan Dunlap Medora Sale Rochelle Krich Catriona McPherson
1990–91 1998–99 2006–07 2014–15
Carolyn G. Hart Barbara Burnett Smith Roberta Isleib Leslie Budewitz
1991–92 1999–00 2007–08 2015–16
P. M. Carlson Claire Carmichael McNab Judy Clemens Diane Vallere
1992–93 2000–01 2008–09 2016–17
Linda Grant Eve K. Sandstrom Marcia Talley Kendel Lynn
1993–94 2001–02 2009–10 2017–18
Barbara D’Amato Kate Flora Cathy Pickens Sherry Harris
1994–95 2002–03 2010–11 2018–19
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 2
I
Table of Contents love my job! It’s such a pleasure
Editor’s Letter working with our board of direc-
Molly Weston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 tors and all the kind folks who
divert time away from their own
President’s Letter
writing to send great articles for
Lori Rader-Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 inSinC. When someone sends a query
Fabulous Forewomen for a series, I’m absolutely thrilled!
Susan Rowland, PhD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 In this issue, we welcome several new people to inSinC.
Legal Matters First, Susan Rowland shares insights about women
Jodé Millman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 writers who brought more to crime fiction than sim-
ple entertainment. Judith Ayn’s fictionalized writers
The Critique Group Murder
group could well help a critique group be kinder.
Judith Ayn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Charlotte Stuart looks at humor in the dark crime of
Getting Serious About Humor murder. Doreen O’Shea’s introduces the winners of
Charlotte Stuart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 SinC’s academic research awards and gives a synopsis of
the research. Susan Hammerman, our new Doris Ann
Counseling Cops
Norris We Love Libraries program coordinator shows us
Ellen Kirschman, PhD . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 how to search the internet like the pros.
Speakers Bureau
Legal eagle Jodé Millman clarifies the all-important
Tina Whittle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 author-agent contract. Ellen Kirschman brings us more
SinC-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 insight into counseling cops. Tina Whittle announces
new folks for the speakers bureau. Don’t miss infor-
Academic Research Grants
mation about new member benefit, SinC-Up. Chris
Doreen O’Shea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Goff introduces the spring webinar schedule. Kristen
Webinar Schedule Houghton tells the rest of the story about Sir Arthur
Chris Goff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Conan Doyle. Debra H. Goldstein’s monitoring report
continues one of SinC’s earliest programs. Liz Zelvin
The Truth Behind Fictional Crime
wraps up the anthology series with the fine points of
Kristen Houghton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 promotion. Gay Kinman once again sifts through award
Monitoring Stats and nomination data and gathers it in one place (con-
Debra H. Goldstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 grats, all!). But, wait — there’s more!
Doris Ann Norris We Love Libraries! Till next time, happy writing!
Susan Hammerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 —Molly
Search Online Like a P.I.
Susan Hammerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Most articles for inSinC are submitted by SinC members. If you
are interested in writing an article (or a series), please con-
The Road to an Anthology tact Molly Weston who will send you submission guidelines.
Liz Zelvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Articles for inSinC are due the 10th of the month two months preced-
Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
ing issue date (April 10 for June issue, etc.). High resolution (1 mb or
Awards & Recognition greater) photos are encouraged, however, please do not include more
Gay Kinman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 than two without prior authorization. NO CAPTIONS will be included.
For submission guidelines or questions, please contact Molly.
inSinC • March 2020
Cover • Page
photo 3 Stock Photo©
123RF
from Lori
T
his past month I’ve been reading two books. One is by Shonda Rhimes, Year of
Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person, about the
power of saying yes. The other is by Sarah Knight, Calm the F*ck Down, about
the (rather exuberant) power of saying no.
So…maybe?
I love saying yes; that’s definitely my go-to or I wouldn’t be reporting to you from the
presidency of this organization, would I?
I owe a lot of my writing career milestones to saying yes to Sisters in Crime. The shortest possible version of a story I have
told many times but perhaps never inside the pages of inSinC is that because I said yes to a small job offered by Sisters in
Crime early in my publishing life, I was in the right place to meet the right people to end up getting to do a list of other,
bigger jobs, including teaching at Yale. Yes, that Yale.
I tell that story every chance I get. (Because I get to say I taught at Yale.) “Say yes,” I have told many many other writers,
some of them older than I. Some of them with more books published. Some of them probably thinking: What does this
little baby author think she can teach me about anything?
Now that I’m not quite as innocent (or young) (or energetic) as I was in the beginning, I have to say that sometimes the
answer shouldn’t be YES. Sometimes, the answer should be a firm NO.
Have you run into this? In your daily life, in your writing life, in your family life, it’s all coming at you so fast and furi-
ously. It can be difficult to do it all, to keep saying yes, or to have to consider and make a decision, even when you want to
say yes. Is it the world we live in now? Is it the time of our lives many of us face, our writing careers trying to find a lane
alongside day-job responsibilities, growing or busy families, and bigger issues we care about? Is it that publishing is some-
times a hard business, much of it set up to benefit everyone but the writer?
I wish I had a list of ideas to help you know when to say yes and when to say no. I wish I had that list for myself.
I do have one piece of advice I’ll share, given to me by Dana Kaye, the publicist (not my publicist but my friend and part-
ner in crime on running Murder and Mayhem in Chicago — I said yes when she asked me to co-chair, of course). I must
have been spouting off, early days-style, about saying YES YES YES isn’t it marvelous YES TO EVERYTHING. Dana said,
“Yes, but.” To paraphrase: You should say yes to the opportunities that move you forward—but not to everything. Why?
Because you have to leave room for opportunities that might come later, opportunities that you can’t predict. If you say yes
too much, you might have to say no to something you really want.
And I would add to that: You have to leave room for the writing to get done (I’m very bad at this) and to keep the balance
of your life tilted toward people you already know and love. In the same way that we worry that kids spend too much time
on their screens so that they are never bored and don’t build the skill of creativity, we should worry about stuffing our lives
so full that we’re insulated from new ideas, new connections, and the what-ifs that have launched a thousand murder sto-
ries. Stuffing our lives so full that it’s hard to think and easy to say no to writing.
All of this to say: I still say yes too often. But I’m learning. I’m learning to say no. I’m learning to leave room for wonder
and opportunity and, once in a while, really good TV. I’m learning, after a shaky apprenticeship, to sort out when the best
answer for me is actually, “No — but let me introduce you to one of my many Siblings.”
Lori
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 4
Fabulous
Forewomen
by Susan Rowland, PhD
Anna Katherine Green & Mary Roberts Rinehart
P
lanned as a series on fabulous and often is forced into being an amateur sleuth for love of
forgotten foremothers, we begin at the Eleanore, the unfavored niece of the victim. One
beginning with the first crime novel pub- of the strengths of the narrative is how Raymond
lished by a woman, Anna Katherine Green’s and Gryce move from opposite interests to com-
the Leavenworth Case (1878) and Mary Roberts radeship. They grow to respect each other’s form of
Rinehart’s first work, The Circular Staircase (1909). integrity, love versus law. A vivid exchange between
professional and amateur detective occurs when Mr.
How could revisiting these pioneers help the authors
Raymond is told to read police reports if he really
of today? What are these works to us now beyond the
believes that women cannot commit murder.
courage of their writers in even more difficult times?
Well, for example, take the recent piece Another plot success of the Leavenworth
in inSinC on the legal complications of case is the switching of suspects. At first,
wills, legacies and inheritance. This very all clues point to Eleanore until her exces-
scenario animates Green’s first novel. sive self-sacrifice clashes with her innate
nobility. Her silence was not guilt, but
After unwisely announcing that he is rather terror at the probable guilt of cousin
about to alter his will, wealthy Mr. Mary, the favored heir to the Leavenworth
Leavenworth is shot to death in his fortune. For Mary has a terrible secret.
library. The relentless plot provides a She has married an Englishman, knowing
second murder, floor plans, a secret mar- that Mr. Leavenworth would disinherit her
riage, a few typical clues such as an for it. Long long ago, the reader is even-
initialed handkerchief and a narrator, tually told, Mr. Leavenworth’s beloved wife died
Mr. Raymond, in love with a suspect. Eleanore prematurely from injuries she had received from an
Leavenworth is one of two female heirs, both beau- abusive, British spouse. Mary wants both her inher-
tiful and prone to extreme emotions. itance and her marriage. Unfortunately, her husband
Green also offers the quietly intelligent detective, is unsympathetic to mercenary motives and tells Mr.
Mr. Gryce, who will, of course, appear again. What Leavenworth the truth. The fatal will-changing is
is striking to the modern reader (and writer) is then announced.
how far the Leavenworth case centers on feeling in The plot then plays deliciously with the revelation
plot and relationships. Outsider Gryce represents of possible motives from these beautiful and beguil-
the rationalities of detecting while the narrator ing suspects. What is of lasting value in the novel
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 5
is the suspense generated by this ambiguity. The our newspapers and detective agencies happy and
story also grips us today by how the characters of prosperous.
Eleanore, Mary and Raymond are revealed in the
Fortunately, unlike the women of the Leavenworth
slow revelation of the back stories of Mary and
case, Rachel Innes is a capable woman of the new
Mr. Leavenworth.
century. Her common sense attitude is challenged,
What is more difficult for the modern reader, and however, by the house she has rented for the sum-
therefore to be considered by the modern writer, mer from the wealthy Armstrong family. First
is how conventions in depicting wealthy woman- ghostly noises, then an inconvenient corpse (Mr.
hood have changed. No writer today would have Armstrong), and then her beloved niece Gertrude
her red herring prove her innocence to the infatu- and nephew Halsey are suspected of crimes ranging
ated sleuth by flinging herself upon the corpse: from financial fraud to murder. Indeed, Rachel’s
“[w]ould not the body of the outraged dead burst cool moderation fails entirely when Halsey is kid-
its very shroud and repel me?” And yet, there is napped. Both aided and thwarted by longtime
a valuable point here about knowledge through maid, Biddy, family dynamics fracture and Rachel
love versus knowledge through material and finds it necessary to ally with sensible policeman,
legally viable evidence. Today the fictional sleuth, Mr. Jamieson.
whether police or P.I. or enthusiastic amateur, also
In fact, The Circular Staircase anticipates key ele-
uses ways of knowing not sanctioned by the law.
ments of what we now call the cozy in its amateur
It is what mysteries do: Justice and the law may
sleuth who discovers resourcefulness and courage
not coincide, and the detective is a hero who steps
that she never knew she had. Decorous Rachel even
into that gap.
scrambles over a roof to find a secret room full
It is notable that green herself drops the swoon- of money. It has been stolen from the bank by its
ing sensibility of Eleanore and Mary in later owner, who is also owner of the house with the fatal
work. She does so largely by switching narrators staircase. Rachel is sure that the entire mystery has
to her groundbreaking spinster detective, Amelia given her a new life: “[t]o be perfectly frank, I never
Butterworth, who narrates that affair next door in really lived until that summer.” Walking through the
1897. night to dig up a grave with Mr. Jamieson, Rachel
remarks on noticing the beauty of the stars for the
Twelve years later, Mary Roberts Rinehart’s Rachel
first time. On the roof she likens herself to an ani-
Innes announces her role as spinster detective in
mal and ancient warrior.
the opening of The Circular
Staircase. She also pioneers “Like a dog on the scent, like my bearskin progeni-
that gripping narrative stance: tor, with his spear and his wild bow, to me now
had I but known… there was the lust of the chase, the frenzy of pursuit,
the dust of battle.”
This is the story of how a
middle-aged spinster lost her Not only is this remark comic in the context, but
mind, deserted her domestic warrior Rachel promptly locks herself in the secret
gods in the city, took a fur- room and has to be rescued. The Circular Staircase
nished house for the summer is delightful and a lesson in first person narration.
out of town, and found her- The novel entices by beginning with a person we
self involved in one of those can respect and promising that her conventional
mysterious crimes that keep world will be exploded by depravity. Hence Rachel
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 6
is the reader’s companion and avatar in detecting. American history? Here we could see The Circular
Ultimately, The Circular Staircase is an initiation Staircase as a lesson in cultural insensitivity for those
story with a stronger, more individuated sleuth of us writing now. Speaking personally as a new
at the end. The novel only lacks three ingredients immigrant to the United States, I felt I learned a
common to the cozy pets, financial pressure on the lot from Rachel’s cultural assumptions, including
sleuth to earn a living, and a sense of wider com- the racism. I gained a tiny glimpse of the legacy of
munity than family. the great crime of slavery. But then, I am white and
benefit from white privilege; others do not.
Another lasting lesson for the modern writer is
the third group of suspects, the servants. Biddy, Ultimately, these early sisters in crime show us
the maid who is always threatening to leave, is a what is enduring and successful in the genres as
comic character straight out of Shakespeare. Far well as what is cultural and problematic. I intend
more problematic is the portrayal of Thomas, an to offers an ongoing series of these “fabulous fore-
Armstrong servant based at the house and therefore mothers” and plan to write about Georgette Heyer
a stranger to Rachel. Thomas has been drafted into and Dorothy B. Hughes next time. I am happy to
the Armstrongs’ criminal activities and eventually receive suggestions for future authors. Both The
dies. He is African-American and is the occasion for Leavenworth Case and The Circular Staircase were
racist remarks by the narrator. republished in 2016, Green by Harper Collins,
Rinehart by Createspace.
This brings in a host of complexities for the mod-
ern author. The Circular Staircase evidently desires Susan Rowland is a British-born scholar of women’s
Rachel to be likable, so what do we make of detective fiction with books From Agatha Christie to
Ruth Rendell and The Sleuth and the Goddess. She
her casual racism? Does it stem from Rinehart’s is also an aspiring novelist with her first mystery,
unthinking adoption of a racist-infused era? Or is “Murder by Alchemy,” with Artellus Literary Agency.
it part of Rachel and not her writer? Does it matter Visit her website for more.
today from where such racism stems? Above all, how
should writers now address such lasting realities in
President Lori Rader-Day was the co-host on a special, SinC-sponsored
episode of Writer Types podcast also featuring Kate Kessler and Kim Taylor
Blakemore. Listen here.
Wondering about SinC into Great Writing 2020?
Past President Sherry Harris is planning a top-secret event, and, typically of
top secret news, she’s keeping all the details under wraps. Watch for details
in the June inSinc!
Registration for Murdercon, presented by Writers Police Academy and Sir-
chie, opened on February 23. No matter Whether you write cozies, tradition-
al, psychological, P.I., or true crime, there is something at Murdercon for you.
[Readers will gain plenty, too!]
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 7
by Jodé Millman
The Writer’s Law School:
The Author-Agent Agreement
S
pringtime is not only the season of rob-
ins, daffodils, longer days and baseball,
Danger! Will Robinson!
It is not my intention to burst anyone’s bubble,
it’s the beginning of the writer confer-
in fact, the opposite. However, I do feel like the
ence season. As baseball pitchers wind up
Robot in Netflix’s reboot of “Lost in Space” when I
to blast the ball across home plate, many writers
will also be pitching their hearts out to editors and shout “Danger, Will Robinson!”
agents at lightning speed.
The most important thing to remember is that
To all of you preparing to pitch, I salute you. Like when you sign the Agency Agreement, you are
baseball, your pitching may consist of strikeouts executing a document that will determine your
and foul balls. However, all you need is one home writing life for a certain amount of time. You are
run. We all know that a writer only needs one establishing a brand new relationship with a person
agent to read their manuscript, say “YES!” and who will ultimately control your career and your
offer representation. (We can hear the crowd roar- destiny.
ing from the grandstands.)
It should be kept in mind that contracts are
Great! Fantastic! What happens next? Before your written not out of distrust, but to codify the
new agent can start pitching your book to pub- trust between you and your agent. An Agency
lishers, there are a few details that must be nailed Agreement will help avoid any misunderstandings
down. Namely, there’s the author-agent contract that can arise during your relationship. The first
(Agency Agreement) to negotiate and sign. step is — do your due diligence; check out the
With hearts thumping wildly in their chests, agent. The Association of Artist’s Representatives
most writers would be so excited that they’d sign is a professional organization of more than 400
anything put before them — after all, this is the agents who represent literary and dramatic writers.
dream of a lifetime. But. Caution must not be Their members subscribe to a Canon of Ethics
thrown to the wind. Both parties, the writer and that holds each member to the highest standards,
the agent, should have a complete understanding requiring that they place the client’s interest above
of their respective rights, obligations and duties their own and to avoid any conflict of interest.
before they can move forward down the road to And never, ever pay a “reading fee” to an agent.
publication.
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 8
Don’t believe that you will lose the deal simply Term
because you want certain contract points clari- How long does the contact last? Various scenarios
fied. In fact, asking pertinent questions reflects can apply to the length of the Agency Agreement.
knowledge. A reputable agent will respect you, an For example, the contract can be canceled if no
unscrupulous one will not. While each Agency
sale occurs within X number of months or the
Agreement will be specific to the particular author
contract can set forth a specific amount of time
and their circumstances, there are certain key
such as one year or it can be an annual contract,
elements, which are or should be included in the
automatically renewable unless canceled by either
Agency Agreement to protect your interests. The
party within 60 days before the anniversary of the
following is a brief list of points that demand your
agreement.
attention before you sign on the dotted line.
Scope of work Since issues can arise when a manuscript is sold
The first question that you should ask yourself is shortly after the termination of the Agency
what works are covered by the Agent Agreement? Agreement, agents often include a provision that if
Does it cover your entire body of work or only the book is sold 90 to 180 days after the termina-
new works? Remember that if your agent sells your tion of the agreement or the sale occurs as the result
manuscript they are entitled to a commission ad of negotiations that occurred prior to termination,
infinitum. Make sure that the then the agent is entitled to
contract is limited to new works, their commission. If this pro-
especially if you have previously vision is inserted in the Agency
published or self-published works. Agreement, be sure to require
that the agent supplies a list of
Exclusivity publishing houses where the
When you sign the Agency manuscript has been submitted.
Agreement, you are granting the You don’t want both your old
agent an “exclusive right” to sell and new agent to be entitled to
or license a particular work anywhere in the duplicate commissions for the same work.
world. Among other things, this includes the
right to appoint a sub-agent for foreign rights or Commission
non-publishing rights like movies or dramatic The standard in the industry for domestic book
works. publishing and performance rights is 15% of the
gross amount payable to the author. The com-
Be forewarned, though. When you grant your
mission on foreign rights is 20%. These rates are
agent an exclusive right to sell your work, it can
generally non-negotiable.
hamstring any actions you independently take to
sell your work. The perfect example would be if Remember, the publisher remits royalties directly
you pitch an editor at a conference and they subse- to the agent. The agent will then deduct their
quently purchase your work, your agent may have
expenses (photocopies, postage, etc.) from the
a claim for a commission if the sale occurs during
proceeds, and will remit the balance to the author.
the term of their representation. Seems unfair,
Accordingly, the contract should provide that:
right? To avoid litigation, insert a provision exclud-
ing author-initiated sales. This should protect you • t he agent will send the money to author within
in the event of such an occurrence. 10 days of receiving the royalties,
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 9
• t he funds will be on deposit in the firm’s client’s Second, remove any Assignment Provision as you
trust account, and don’t want your Agency Agreement assigned to
• t he author will receive an accounting of the mon- another literary agency without your approval.
ies and royalty statements. Also, add a provision that the agreement is can-
celed in the event of the death, disability, or
Further, that upon the termination of the Agency bankruptcy of the agency or agent. From personal
Agreement, the author and agent will be paid
experience, I can attest that you don’t want to
directly by the publisher. Also, be sure to require
married to an agency that is going down the tubes.
that the agent obtain permission from you for
expenses exceeding a certain amount. You don’t My final suggestion is that it doesn’t hurt to have a
want any surprises for Fed Ex shipping expenses to lawyer take a quick peek at the Agency Agreement.
Turkey.
Armed with these tips, you will be in charge of
No Power of Attorney your career and in control of your destiny as a
Do not permit the agent to sign any documents on soon-to-be-published author. Congratulations!
your behalf. They are your agent, not your power of You’re no longer a free agent! It’s time to sign on
attorney. You want to review every shred of paper the dotted line and best of luck! Play ball! †
related to your work, especially the publishing agree-
ment and the movie option. Jodé Millman is a New York attorney. Her debut
thriller, The Midnight Call, was short-listed for the
Clue Award and was named Best Police Procedural
Zipper Clauses by Chanticleer Book Reviews. In addition, she
To sum up the Agency Agreement, there are a few is the co-host and co-producer of the popular
final recommendations. First, agree to submit any podcast, Backstage with the Bardavon and is the
contractual disputes to the American Arbitration author of the bestselling theatre guide Seats: New
Association because it’s cheaper than litigation. York.
The winner will be selected and announced by July 1, 2020.
Eleanor Taylor Bland This grant is intended for a writer of color. Applicants may
Crime Fiction live outside the U.S.
Writers of Color Requirements for application:
Award
An unpublished work of crime fiction, which may be a short
story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress, 2,500 to
Call for applications from 5,000 words.
• A resume or biographical statement.
unpublished writers of color.
Apply for the $2,000 grant
by June 8, 2020. •A cover letter that gives a sense of the applicant as an
Learn more at emerging writer in the genre and briefly states how the
sistersincrime.org
grant money would be used. No prior writing or pub-
lishing experience is required, but the applicant should
include any relevant studies or experience.
f @sincnational • An electronic copy of the full application in Word should
sistersincrime.org d @sincnational
be sent, with email attachments, to stephgayle@gmail.com.
c Facebook.com/sistersincrime
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 10The Critique Group Murder
by Judith Ayn
Although it is against inSinC policy to print articles of fiction, your
editor felt the sentiment of this one was often universal, though rarely
enacted! The policy was therefore temporarily lifted.
Law enforcement investigators have finally unravelled the motive behind the kill-
ing of a popular author by another member of a weekly writers’ critique group.
The receipt of a written confession confirms the alleged murderer targeted the victim from the
beginning of his year-long membership in the group, and carried out the plan on Tuesday evening.
Dear Reader:
By the time you open this letter, it will be too late to stop me from killing someone who truly needs
to die.
Please understand, every Tuesday afternoon, week after week for the past year, I’ve been present
at Dan’s modern, museum style home. The cold environment of the house complements the frigid
hearts of my fellow critique group members.
As leader and host of the group, Dan rules with an iron fist. We assemble promptly at four in the
afternoon, and it’s rare for anyone to miss a meeting. The ongoing collection of authors has consisted
of the same host and three other initial members for a half dozen years. Various new members filled
the last two spots, until Tanya and I arrived, exactly one year ago tomorrow.
I have spent a year of my life chasing after praise and affirmation from other writers I considered
possibly equal to me. My goal: Finish and polish the mystery manuscript about a disgraced detective-
turned-killer. Presented chapter by chapter, from opening words to close, the novel has been offered,
much as an innocent newborn child, for review and possible revision.
Weekly, my work has been torn to shreds by everyone except Henny, a shy older woman, pro-
ducer of sweet romances. Henny always offers praise such as, “I think your dialogue sounds like
real people.” Her comments delivered in a quivering voice. The rest of the members snicker when
she speaks. Unfortunately, Henny’s showing signs of dementia and needs to have everyone’s work
explained again at each session.
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 11As a good little critiquer, I listen to Tanya’s ridiculous dragon fantasy and offer suggestions for
making it more readable. She snorts at my ideas, then laughs and thanks me for the input. The fol-
lowing week, she brings in a rewrite, not one of my recommendations included. Rewrites are normally
discouraged, but an obvious exception made, of course, for Tanya’s masterpiece.
Dolly-Mae, our token Southerner, serves her cozy mystery with a plate of cookies each
Tuesday. The cookies are to die for. Her book is already dead — an inane tale about a woman
who preserves fruit and solves murders in her little hamlet. This woman’s thick accent and nasal
whine make me want to cram at least a dozen cookies down her gullet.
Michael, our thriller writer, offers damn good stuff. The group suggests small tweaks, which he
claims improves the book. I suspect he’s reading from something already published, but I can’t
prove it. Otherwise, why does he waste his time with us?
Dan, a technical writer by day, shares a shallow memoir, a few scant pages at a time. He’s more
concerned with facilitating, assigning one of us in rotating order to bring drinks to go with Dolly-
Mae’s cookies. Whoever provides the beverages pours for everyone. Last week I decided to add a
little kicker to one of the cups before it was served.
When, at the last meeting, Dolly-Mae produced peanut butter cookies, someone offered a tart lemon-
ade chaser. Expressions on the faces of my fellow writers at this combination were priceless. Over the
course of the evening, several people walked rather hurriedly to Dan’s clean-enough-for-surgery guest
bathroom.
I joined the group for respectful comments from other authors, but eventually realized I did not
need their grief. Thanks to these people, I’ve learned a precious few things about writing, but more
importantly, valuable ideas about murder. Such knowledge demands testing. Therefore, I scheduled
one of the group to die a mysterious, horrible death.
I would caution anyone to think twice about joining a group like mine, or at least continuing in
it. Enough is enough!
I’m not sorry for what I have done. Again, the victim deserved to die.
Sincerely,
Your New Favorite Bestselling Author
Judith Mathison, writing as Judith Ayn, is a retired attorney currently shopping her humorous,
therapeutic mystery, Dead Lawyers. Her second mystery, Dead Merchandise, is nearly finished.
She is aided and abetted in her writing endeavors by an incredible local weekly critique/workshop
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 12Getting serious
about humor
by Charlotte Stuart
H
umor is a psychological tickle that can
make us laugh out loud, shake our heads
in disbelief, chuckle, snort, hoot, cackle,
or simply produce an inner smile. Many
mystery writers use humor to provide relief from
the otherwise grim topic of murder. For some the
Kooky…
is usually characterized by an outrageous situation and
humor comes first, an integral part of the storyline.
includes some very quirky characters. Carl Hiassen’s
For others, the humor lightens but does not domi-
one-eyed, ex-governor of Florida named Skink who
nate. And for a few, the humor is intermittent and
lives on road kill is the classic example of this cate-
perhaps almost buried in the darkness of situation,
gory. And although not all authors I’ve included in
characters and theme. But there is more to consider
my matrix as examples of the Kooky category have
than the volume of humor in mysteries. situations and characters as extreme as Hiassen’s, for
Readers and writers know all mysteries labelled me even cozies can fall into this category if they are
“humorous” are not alike. Still, everything from wacky enough. When reviewers use words and phrases
the wacky story to gallows humor are all lumped like “madcap,” “zany,” “unreal” and “laugh out loud”
together on lists of “humorous mysteries” by review- to describe books, those are clues to this category.
For example, Gigi Pandian’s Accidental Alchemist is
ers and publishers. For readers this can be confus-
usually labeled a cozy, but her unusual crime fighting
ing. And for writers it can complicate the question
team that includes a 300-year-old alchemist and a
of “who is my audience?”
gargoyle combined with a basement full of vampires
We don’t all laugh at the same things. So, a book can gives the series at least one foot in the Kooky category.
receive a great review and be considered very funny And Timothy Hallinan’s Junior Bender earns a place
by one person and totally off the mark by another. this category by some of the bizarre situations.
The comparisons made on Amazon are an attempt
to connect like books, but they often seem like a Comic…
random stretch. And even authors often have a hard highlights the benign, non-offensive humor found in
time characterizing their own brand of humor. most cozies and capers. It can include the inept sleuth
or some physical humor and often relies on wordplay
The five broad categories I’ve identified are not abso- and idiosyncratic characters. Many SinC members
lute. Authors may have multiple series with distinctly write cozies. I’ve listed a few with multiple series on
different characters and settings. Writers evolve. the matrix. I’ve also included Laura DiSilverio with
Culture changes. New trends become vogue. Still, I her edgier cozies and Nancy Martin’s sexy ones. The
found enough consistency to classify humorous mys- latter two are still defined by most as cozies, which
teries as Kooky, Comic, Amusing, Edgy, or Dark. suggests the label is evolving.
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 13In both Kooky and Comic, humor is not only an girl with Bette Midler’s mouth and Cher’s fash-
integral part of the novel, but their titles usually ion sense…” Then there’s the wry humor of Terry
reflect emphasis on humor first. Consider kooky titles Shames’ Samuel Craddock series and the twisty plots
such as Squirm, Hoot and Chomp. Or Dating Dead of Julie Moffett’s series about a naïve techie, Lexi
Men, The Accidental Alchemist, Feisty Nuns and Little Carmichael.
Elvises. Or cozy titles like Murder With A Cherry on
Top, An Incantation of Cats, and Union Jacked. Even the titles in this category are a bit edgy. Of
course, Evanovich has branded titles with her use of
Amusing
the numbers for all of her books from One for the
Authors under the Amusing rubric are usually less
overtly humorous but have light-hearted themes that Money to Twisted Twenty-Six. And Deborah Coonts
may run throughout the book. These themes are often uses her protagonist’s nickname to brand her titles:
character driven but are generally some combination Lucky Break, Wanna Get Lucky? Most writers in this
of action, language, and characters. For example, category have titles that don’t give away much about
Susan Boyer’s Liz Talbot series has plenty of witty their use of humor but suggest murder with a twist:
exchanges between characters to keep readers smil- A Reckoning in Back Country, No Questions Asked,
ing, but the complex storylines and descriptions of The Cuckoo’s Calling.
the historic streets of Charleston are the centerpieces
of her mysteries. And although there is Dark
plenty of humor in Patricia Smiley’s Pacific The humor in these mysteries may not be
Homicide series, it’s still a classic police obvious. Rather, they often give us pause
procedural. by making light of topics usually con-
sidered taboo. They may also depict the
Unlike titles for mysteries in the Kooky
struggle between good and evil on some
and Comic categories that emphasize
level. For example, in Joseph Wambaugh’s
humor, the Amusing titles frequently
refer to place or modus operandi: LA cop novels, officers faced with over-
Lowcountry Bookshop, Pacific Homicide, A Wanted whelming violence and danger on a daily basis resort
Man, Life Without Parole to name a few. You may be to raunchy language and gallows humor to cope with
able to tell from the title that the book will not be their grim reality. Caimh McDonnell’s amoral and
terribly violent or extreme, and you can also antic- violent Bunny McGarry attacks serious situations with
ipate the mystery will be as important, if not more acerbic wit and flashes of kindness. Elaine Viets writes
so, than the humor. books that fit several different categories, but her
Death Investigator series definitely has a dark side. As
Edgy
does Judy Clemens’ Grim Reaper series.
These mysteries move even further along the con-
tinuum of seriousness. Their intermittent humor
Even the titles of these books suggest violence or
is more complex and nuanced. They often include
depressing themes: Beyond the Grave, Fire and Ashes,
the use of irony and satire, and wordplay between
The Day that Never Comes. Wambaugh’s titles are the
characters can be cynical. Protagonists are fre-
quently nonconformist and face cultural or moral exception. Two of his most famous — The Onion
issues in dealing with the people and the crimes Field and The New Centurions — don’t immediately
they encounter. For instance, Janet Evanovich’s bring to mind the darkness of his books, although
Stephanie Plum has been described as a “Jersey the cover graphics hint broadly at tone.
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 14The matrix below shows examples of authors repre-
sentative of each category. SinC members are in red.
I confess to a few caveats. The categories may
sometimes not reflect the full range of a particular
author’s books. And a cozy may fall in the gray area
between Comic and Kooky. Or a book’s humor
may be extremely subtle or consist of the occasional
one-liner or witty simile. Nevertheless, although the
lines of the matrix may be somewhat permeable and
perceptions of particular authors vary, using these
five categories provides a springboard for discussing
the types and range of humor in mysteries as well as
affording a way for authors to talk about their own
approach to humor. One genre, five categories. †
Charlotte Stuart published her first “discount
detective” mystery about a detective agency located
in a mall in September. In addition to writing light
hearted mysteries, she does pro bono strategic plan-
ning for small nonprofits and is on the board of the
Puget Sound Sisters in Crime.
KOOKY COMIC AMUSING EDGY DARK
Clare
Harley Jane Kozak Cynthia Baxter Deborah Coonts Judy Clemens
O''Donohue
Naomi Hirahra
Gigi Pandian Clea Simon Susan Boyer Elaine Viets
Hawaii series
Caimh McDonnell
Rita Moreau Diane Vallere Patricia Smiley Terry Shames
Dublin Trilogy
Patricia Joseph Wambaugh
Timothy Hallinan Nancy Martin Julie Moffett
Sprinkle LA cop series
Robert Crais
Carl Hiaasen Kylie Logan Robert Galbraith
Elvis Cole series
Robert Parker
Kellye Garrett Laura DiSilverio Janet Evanovich
Spenser series
Sisters in Crime members are listed in red.
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 15Counseling
COPS by Ellen Kirschman, PhD
Using these words of wisdom to real first responders can help you
make your fictional heroes even stronger.
A
nnual mental health checkups for public Don’t let things stack up. Don’t
safety personnel are a new and growing fool yourself by thinking the job
movement. One I support. Using my doesn’t follow you home. Don’t
position as a police psychologist as a bully shame yourself into pretending
pulpit, I recently published this essay/rant/motiva- things don’t bother you because
tional speech to welcome in the new decade. you are a man, a cop, a first responder. Retired
CHP officer Andy O’Hara said it this way. “Criti-
I just read this quote from a firefighter: “I wish my cal incidents are like Mack trucks; big catastrophic
head could forget what my eyes have seen.” I don’t events … [but] cumulative [stress] is like one bee
know the man, but if I did, here’s what I’d say. sting after another …. These are the incidents that
“Sorry, friend, it just doesn’t happen like that. Your are missed by everyone, even the officer … the
memories are your memories.” But what can hap- shame, the mistakes, the ‘routine’ horrors, the be-
pen, if you can overcome the stigma against seek- trayals, abuses, and the dark fears…. We call them
ing help, you can learn how to let those disturbing ‘soul woundings.’”
memories and images come and go,
like a passing cloud. But you have Soul woundings — letting your-
to talk about them. Not talking self be isolated, hiding your
about disturbing memories or humanity — are not healthy and
feelings is what gives them power. may be why there is an uptick
It’s one of life’s annoying paradoxes: in suicide among men. Suicide
What you resist, persists. is the seventh leading cause of
death for males and the second
Talking about your troubles, especially if you’re most common cause of death for males ages 10–39.
a man, takes courage and determination. You’ve And while statistics are always hard to pin down,
heard it all your life big boys don’t cry. This is why firefighters and cops, largely male populations, are
you have to beat down stigma and shame. You need twice as likely to kill themselves as they are to be
to push back against the people who tell you to killed in the line of duty. (Women also pay for ex-
man up. Don’t joke when you’re feeling sad, pick a pressing themselves emotionally, especially women
fight when you feel down, pretend you’re just tired first responders. But, generally speaking, women are
when you’re feeling depressed, drink yourself to more willing to talk about their feelings. Could this
sleep, hide your nightmares, or never tell anyone be why suicide does not even rank in the top ten
about your panic attacks. causes of death for women?)
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 16Most men I know brush their teeth, go to the The therapist you choose to see is not your adver-
dentist once a year, change the oil in their vehicles sary, not like the clinician who saw you for pre-
regularly, go to the gym, and see their doctor when employment screening or a fitness-for-duty evalu-
they are sick. Troubling emotions or thoughts re- ation. This therapist works for you and with you.
quire the same care. Think of annual mental health Those other therapists work for your department.
checkups as “mental floss.” A time to clear out the
sticky stuff that’s doing hot laps in your head. It What if you have to pay all or part of a therapist’s
doesn’t mean you are weak, broken, or that some- fee? Do it. First responders often amaze me. You
thing is wrong with you. are willing to run into burning buildings or chase
crooks down a dark alley, but risk money to help
What exactly is an annual mental yourself? No way; if the department
health checkup? According to the caused your troubles, the department
Badge of Life, which first raised the should pay.
idea for law enforcement, it is a volun-
Don’t wait for your department to
tary visit with a licensed mental health
help. Modern-thinking departments
professional, preferably someone who
will have a well-established peer sup-
understands the first responder culture
port and/or a chaplaincy program.
and/or is trained to deal with stress and
These are the first people you can talk
trauma. But certainly, someone with
to. You should be able to confide in
whom you feel safe and comfortable.
them and they should be able to help you find a
What should you talk about? Take a look at the past suitable clinician. But if your department doesn’t
year. Is there anything bugging you, something you offer this kind of help or recognize the need for it,
can’t let go of? Are there things you’d like to change then it’s on you. Don’t wait around.
in the future? How are you coping with life? Are you
drinking more, sleeping less? What are you doing to Make 2020 a year when you are not a statistic.
remain resilient? How are things at home? What’s Make 2020 a year when you are not part of the
going on in your personal relationships? Have you stigma. Make 2020 a year when you are courageous
changed as a result of your work? Do you like the enough to listen to a buddy’s troubles even if talking
changes? Does your family? about emotions makes you uncomfortable. Make
2020 a year when you encourage your buddy to
Is a checkup confidential? Licensed clinicians are seek help and maybe even go with them to their first
required to report only if you are a danger to your- appointment. †
self or others, unable to care for yourself, or abusing
an elder or a child. If you have been abused as a llen Kirschman writes the award-winning Dot
E
child, they are not required to report this unless the Meyerhoff mystery series. Dot Meyerhoff is a spunky
abuse is ongoing and children are currently at risk. 52-year-old police psychologist. Too dedicated for
Discuss confidentiality right off the bat, especially her own good, she should be counseling cops, not
solving crimes. Ellen is a member of SinC, MWA
if you are using someone with a contractual rela- NorCal, and the Public Safety Writers Association.
tionship to your department. Going outside your Her nonfiction books are I Love a Cop: What Police
department for therapy further guarantees your Families Need to Know, I Love a Fire Fighter: What the
Family Needs to Know and Counseling Cops: What
privacy.
Clinicians Need to Know (with J. Fay and M. Kamena).
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 17Speakers Bureau
by Tina Whittle
T
he Sisters in Crime Speakers Bureau is
ready to begin another year of exciting
educational events for our chapters. We’ve
H
got a growing roster of talented speak-
ave you ever wondered how your
ers, all award-winning and/or best-selling SinC
favorite authors handle their writ-
members, and SinC National will provide them to
ing, editing, and marketing dilem-
chapters as teachers, presenters, or seminar leaders.
mas? Have you ever needed a
Best of all, they’re free to chapters! SinC National
jumpstart or suffered from writer’s block?
will pay each speaker for the appearance, including
travel expenses. If so, then you’ll want to SinC-Up!
Beginning in March, we’ll post short, one- to
We’ve added 10 new speakers this year: Terri
two- minute videos featuring advice from
Bischoff, Suzanne Chazin, Jamie Freveletti, Elsie
noted authors, agents, and editors to the
(LC) Hayden, Georgia Jeffries, Cathy Pickens, Di-
Sisters in Crime YouTube Channel [If the
ane Vallere, Abby Vandiver, Kate White, and Simon
link isn’t live when you get this issue, check
Wood.
back soon.]
You can read their bios, along with the bios of the Videos from talented authors like Catriona
returning speakers, at the Speakers Bureau webpage. McPherson, James Patterson, and Hank
Phillippi Ryan will be added monthly, offer-
Next year’s matching session occurs the first week in ing their favorite pieces of advice. Plus, if
April. Visit the website to check out the new roster, you need a quick tip about revising and
choose five candidates, and then get ready to fill out pitching, you can watch our SinC-Up videos
an application at 12:00 noon on April 1st. Matches from editors and agents to help you suc-
are queued in the order in which they are received, ceed with your novel.
and once all slots are filled for 2021, any unfilled
applications go into the queue for 2022. Most of the videos were filmed at writer
Questions? † conferences starting in late 2019, and SinC
will continue filming to build a library that
offers you point-on advice.
To see the first upload of videos, visit our
YouTube Channel, SistersInCrime. †
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 18by Doreen O’Skea
F
or Sisters in Crime, equity, diversity, and questions of gender, race, and
inclusion are not new concepts, but rather justice.”
the infrastructure upon which the organiza-
The most recent winners of the
tion was founded. To further this mission,
grants are doing just that.
Sisters in Crime provides annual grants to help sup-
port new scholarship in the realm of mystery. What if Sherlock were a
black lesbian?
Each year, SinC presents Academic Research Grants
Ann McClellan, PhD proposed a deeper look at the
on a variety of topics that further the conversation
sacred canon of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson
of the mystery novel, create a body of scholarly
through her examination of Claire O’Dell’s futuris-
work on crime novels, and find a place for the genre
tic Janet Watson series, which presents Holmes and
within literary culture and history — as well as new
Watson as African American and lesbian.
readers. Each of the four most recent winning pro-
jects touches on different aspects of the genre. While reimagining either Holmes or Watson as
“Since we launched the academic grant program, we female is not new, the assessment of how the sto-
ries unfold and what new insights can be gained
have helped scholars present their research at con-
by having the characters not only gender-swapped,
ferences and write articles, book chapters, and entire
but changed in race, opens the stories, as McClellan
books on subjects ranging from 19th century women
said, “to look at the legacy of U.S. slavery and race
mystery writers to the Native American sleuth to
relations. In a period of increasing racial tensions in
how Agatha Christie portrayed changes in the British
the U.S. reconfiguring an historically white, male,
criminal justice system as women became jurors, pros-
British detective as an African-American lesbian
ecutors, and judges,” said Barbara Fister, an author,
simultaneously works to challenge our imperialist
librarian, and Gustavus Adolphus scholar in residence
assumptions about the literary past and asks us to
who has spearheaded the program for many years as a
rethink what we know and believe about ‘racial pro-
board member and now as a volunteer.
gress’ in the United States.”
“I’m so pleased that the organization can support
SinC looks forward to the publication of
research that brings women’s writing to the fore-
McClellan’s essay “Watson Was a Woman — and
ground and encourages critical appreciation of our
Black: Claire O’Dell’s Janet Watson Chronicles.”
genre,” Fister said. “These academic research grants
bring our passion for mysteries into conversation McClellan a professor of English at Plymouth State
with literature more broadly. They also show what University in Plymouth NH, holds a PhD in English
women writers bring to our understanding of the literature from the University of Cincinnati. She hails
world seen through the lens of fiction that addresses from Clarkston MI.
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 19How does queer detective fiction play national borders and an ever-increasing lack of
with aesthetics and craft? security both in the real world and online can create
In the dark and shadowy corridors of noir fiction, difficulties for the detectives to adequately solve
the hardboiled detective with his alcoholism, misog- the crimes. In other words, it is becoming increas-
yny, and melancholy asides has held sway over the ingly difficult to ensure a happy ending with jus-
dolls and dames for decades. However, what if that tice served when the threats are so ubiquitous and,
flint-hearted character were a lesbian? How would frequently, anonymous.
that change the narrative, social identities, and
sexual politics at play in the stories? As Kenley states, “Digital crimes may
Margot Douaihy’s proposal for “Lesbian well be too broad to be policed.”
Hardboiled Detective Fiction Studies”
serves to “track the development of Kenley is a lecturer in English at Baylor
queer detective fiction as it pertains University in Waco TX and holds a
to aesthetics, including point of view, PhD in English from the University of
temporal architecture, narrative context, California, Davis.
and structure.”
How do cozy crime novels relate
Douaihy’s hope is that “applying queer to the real world?
analysis and foregrounding queer An investigation into the world of the cozy mys-
storylines in crime fiction can situate the sleuth tery captured the imaginations of Kat Albrecht and
outside of heteronormative constructs.” This would Kaitlyn Filip with their research into “The Murder
allow the detective to approach each case from a
Mystery and the Modern Woman,” with emphasis on
fresh perspective and enhance their own life skills,
the cozy genre. The pair suggests that the reliability,
such as decoding, interpreting, and inference.
comfort, and consistency of the cozy mystery appeals
Douaihy is a lecturer at Franklin Pierce University o the reader who lives in an increasingly unstable and
in Rindge NH and a widely-published poet who is uncertain world. Albrecht and Filip are also exploring
a PhD candidate in creative writing with a concen- how the cozy mystery characters start to live outside
tration in fiction from Lancaster University in the the confines of their own stories through the creation
United Kingdom.
of ancillary materials such as cookbooks, crafting
How has real-life globalization affected ideas, home decorating manuals, and blogs, all of
fictional crime? which are not mysteries but echo the lifestyle of the
Expanding the scene of the crime to include both heroine. The researchers are studying how the “her-
the entire tangible world and the visual one can be oines in cozy mysteries balance themes of relatability
found in Nicole Kenley’s grant-winning “Detecting and escapism to the reading audience.”
Globalization,” which explores the intersection
between detective fiction globalization and internet Albrecht is a computational social scientist and a JD/
crimes. PhD candidate at Northwestern University. Filip is
currently working on a PhD in rhetoric and public
Kenley suggests that globalization and global crime
culture as well as a JD from Northwestern. They are
have precipitated a change in detective fiction’s
strategies for containing crime. The erosion of from Jackson MI and Glenview IL, respectively.
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 20Opportunities to broaden the
discussion of crime fiction
Each of the winning proposals showed a depth of
analysis and intrigue that will certainly expand the
conversation in academic circles, within the crime
fiction community, and, perhaps, in the marketplace
for mystery novels.
“This year’s projects
F
show so much poten-
tial to continue broad- or longer than I’ve worked with
ening the audience for Sisters in Crime, Katherine Ramsland
mysteries and crime has written a wonderful column every
novels and to illumi- quarter for inSinC. She was usually
nate who is telling the first to submit, so I was surprised when
the stories and why I didn’t get an early article. No problem, I
representation matters thought as I included her in the reminder
across all disciplines email for this issue. Her response was great
and genres,” said Lori for her, sad for SinC.
Rader-Day, president of Sisters in Crime. “We Katherine
believe that these Sisters in Crime Academic Grants received a pro-
can open a conversation about the literary and cul- motion to provost
tural merit of genre fiction.” at her university,
Proposals for 2020 Sisters in Crime Academic and she will no
Grants must be received by April 1, 2020. Details longer be able to
including application guidelines and directions can write the foren-
be found at the SinC website. sic psychology
column. She
Doreen O’Skea is a storyteller, fundraiser, event has another
planner, theatre nerd, and mystery aficionado. After
spending the vast majority of her career ghostwrit-
time-consuming
ing for luminaries in tech, theatre, and academic project: CSI producer Josh Berman, Penny
circles, she is currently working on her first novel. Dreadful producer, and Katherine are bring-
O’Skea holds a Master of Arts in Public Relations and ing Murder House Flip to QuiBi. The mobile
Journalism from Ball State University in Muncie IN
(only)-streaming service will debut in April
and a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Management
from the University of Portland in Oregon. She is with the crime scene fixer-upper among its
the director of legacy and leadership giving at the first lineups.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
I’m sure all Sisters and Misters will wish
Katherine all success. I’ve got my iPhone all
set for Murder House Flip. I suspect many of
you will join me! †
—MW
inSinC • March 2020 • Page 21You can also read
