Next week at Maine Crime Writers we’ll be featuring posts from Susan Vaughan (Monday), John Clark (Tuesday), and Kate Flora (Wednesday), and for Thanksgiving we’ll have a post on Holiday Traditions.
In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:
Gerry Boyle, Paul Doiron, and James Hayman had a unique opportunity on November 14 to talk about their characters and raise money for the Friends of the Maine State Library. Here’s the link for more details: http://www.maine.gov/msl/news/display.shtml?id=608189
Kaitlyn Dunnett: The day after Thanksgiving means Christmas shopping for many people. For us it is opening day at our cut-your-own Christmas tree farm. And for the writer in the family (that would be me), it’s “stand-by-to-assist” until we close after the weekend before Christmas. Most of the time, tree buyers just trickle in and Sandy can handle things on his own, but opening day and weekends we’ve had as many as fifteen cars at one time parked in the dooryard and down along U.S. Rt. 2. On those occasions, it takes both of us to keep things running smoothly. I’m not complaining, mind you, but playing the back-up role as “Mrs. Claus” does put a dent in the writing time. The good news is that I’ve finished the first revision of the historical mystery I’ve been working on and I’d be letting it “rest” these next few weeks even if it wasn’t Christmas tree season. If you want to know more about Mystic Valley Christmas Tree Farm, here’s the link: http://www.MysticValleyFarm.biz
Barb Ross: Best New England Crime Stories 2014: Stone Cold got a great review by Rae Padilla Francoeur that was carried in all the Wicked Local papers and websites. Here’s a taste:
“Hilarious, raucous, sometimes sober and suspenseful, and sometimes really creepy, this collection of fiction by some of our best regional crime and mystery writers hits the spot each fall…”
You can read the rest of the review here.
Lea Wait: Busy times! Shadows on a Maine Christmas (to be published next September) just moved to the art director for design, Uncertain Glory (publication date April 4, 2014) is out for blurbs and I’m working with the “author relations” person on the publisher’s staff to set up a launch party and other appearances. And I’m working on two manuscripts: a MG contemporary mystery, and the first in the Haven Harbor series. Do plan on taking most of Thanskgiving off, though … and on Black Friday you’ll find me at Studio 53 in Boothbay Harbor from 10 until 2, in case anyone is interested in buying signed books as Xmas gifts. Since I live far from family, the next task is getting Christmas cartons in the mail. And then there are Christmas cards to write … good thing I love this time of year! Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Maine Crime Writers, and to our readers!
An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.
And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business.
Kait Carson
Charlene D’Avanzo 
I do have a long connection to Maine life, especially on a tiny island which was deserted during a couple of years in the ’70s. I wrote children’s books while living out of my car and sold them in front of grocery stores along coastal Rt.1. (Long story, just mentioning it!)
I do have a much more important role in Maine’s undetectable homeless population, and for 10 years I have been writing about women (and a few men) who have told me their personal stories re why and how they are living with self-sufficiency in ME. That is the URL I gave for I am using blogs now that I focus on writing cultural mystery books which happen to occur on an isolated peninsula not too far from Rockland.
My target audience is a culture which moved there from Europe and their customs/traditions in my books are actually true. I thought I was just using material from grad school studies, but I discovered the people really did move there many years ago. I found it exciting when I found I had the cultural traditions just about right for their stories of how they honor some today.
I write these cultural mysteries under a pen name, for my academic background is something I want to keep private. Branding is a topic which I had never considered before…until I found the mystery genre was not appreciated by my university colleagues.
I follow your writers with fond memories of Maine, and absolutely can identify with those who live in ME, especially in the BBH, Belfast, Pt. Clyde, and Damariscotta areas. I loved the blueberry pancakes at the little store/restaurant next to the Pemaquid Lighthouse. I have never been able to reproduce their wonderful big pancakes, and I wish they had “carry-out” to Maryland!
Marjorie,
Thanks for sharing your story. You’ve given us lots of food for thought.
Kathy/Kaitlyn