Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by Susan Vaughan (Monday), Lea Wait (Tuesday), Barb Ross (Wednesday), Al Lamanda (Thursday), and John Clark (Friday).

In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:

From Maine Crime Writers: We love all Maine bookstores and want to alert you that this Saturday is Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day. Here’s what our friends at Longfellow Books in Portland are doing to celebrate:

This Saturday marks the fifth annual Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day and Longfellow Books will, yet again, be doing our part to encourage the younger generation in Portland to fall in love with books by letting them all pick out a FREE book. That’s right, every child under 12 who stops by Saturday with a grown-up gets to choose a free book (up to a $10 value). This day is one of our favorites of the year – the store is packed with kids checking out books, sharing their favorites with friends, families enjoying something in December that doesn’t cost more money and mostly, lots of smiles and gratitude. See you Saturday, readers…

We hope you’ll follow our blogs this month as we share the books we most want to receive, and the ones we’re planning to give. And that you will share your choices with us, so we can do a “Our Reader’s Choice” post to celebrate you. What book captivated you this year? What book are you most looking forward to reading?

Bored by the usual holiday tree? Can’t get to Kaitlyn’s Christmas Tree farm to cut your own? Is your house too full of books? Well here are some ideas for using those books to make a tree: http://www.themarysue.com/12-christmas-trees-made-out-of-books/

From Kathy Lynn Emerson: If you happen to be reading this in the UK, Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe, the first book in my Mistress Jaffrey Mystery series (historical mysteries set in the 16th century), hit stores there at the end of November. It will be available in the U.S. in March. I mention this now because there is one chapter in which Rosamond’s estranged husband, Rob Jaffrey, in Moscow at Christmas time, reminisces about traditional Yuletide celebrations back home in Kent.

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. Don’t forget that comments are entered for a chance to win our wonderful basket of books and the very special moose and lobster cookie cutters.

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. Contact Kate Flora: mailto: kateflora@gmail.com