Maine Crime Writers

A Good Time was Had by All

Posted on September 29, 2025 by mainecrimewriters

This past weekend, the Maine crime writing community gathered at the new MWPA offices in Mechanic’s Hall in Portland for the Maine Crime Wave. If you’ve never been to a crime writers’ conference, know that it is a riot. There aren’t a better natured bunch of people anywhere, probably because we get it all out of our systems in our books.

Friday night, there was a Noir at the Bar in the basement of Novel, where 9 brave souls got up to read from new or recent works in front of an audience. Organized by the tireless Gabi Stiteler and MC’d by Matt Cost and Jule Selbo, it was fascinating to hear the different tones, voices, and rhythms of what the readers were sharing. From the ghastly humorous to the dark, dark, dark, our crime writers’ imaginations know no bounds.

Reading at the bar

It should be acknowledged here that three writers were instrumental in making Friday night’s NOIR @ THE BAR a huge success.

Gabi Stiteler was the primary organizer of the whole shebang and she gave a killer reading.

The emcees –Jule Selbo and Matt Cost — were pitch perfect.

Saturday began with icebreaking exercises involving confession to an issue with a WIP and then asking strangers for advice. There’s probably a novel in that somewhere. It was followed by round table discussions, a wonderful interview of award winner Paul Doiron by Julia Spencer Fleming, more round tables, and an utterly crazy group panel to close out the days.

It would be fun to interview the participants today and see what their takeaways were and whether they left with some new ideas for their writing, so fixes for stuck spots, and just an enduring sense that in the crime writing community, we truly are there for each other.

Jule and Matt waiting to ring the gong and send us off the stage

Maureen Milliken with Julia in the background

Matt Cost, looking like he suspects someone is behind him

Dick Cass, dragged away from book signing to his picture taken

Rob Kelley, eagerly awaiting the debut of Raven next month

MCW alum and conference GOH Paul Doiron with Jule Selbo

John Clark and Joe Souza catching up

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Connection and Conversation

Posted on September 26, 2025 by dickcass

It’s been a busy summer and I’ve been looking forward to the respite the fall gives us, a chance to relax, pick up on a couple neglected writing projects and generally breathe little easier. I did do more events this summer than I have been doing and, as always, I’m struck by the randomness of success. I guess the question is how to define success. I used to think an event was measured by the number of books I sold, but I’ve come to realize that what I value the most is the interactions with people, even those who don’t buy books.

In deep summer, I attended the Belgrade Book Bash, which was created and managed by our own Maureen Milliken. We had enormous crowds, dozens of writers, but more than the (not inconsiderable) book sales, I had many of the conversations that I value: not so much salesmanship and connections as exchanges of ideas and beliefs. Over books, over reading, over Maine and the glory of summer.

I’m feeling like more people seek that sort of connection these days. More than buying or selling, it feels like people want to communicate, to talk, to be listened to. Even in a busy chaotic event like the book festival, it’s satisfying to be able to make connections with readers.

Had a unique experience at Sherman’s in Damariscotta this month, where I met the first real live person who reads the Maine Crime Writer’s blog. (Shoutout to Dorrit!) I know you’re all out there, but we rarely connect in person. I’d value it if we could.

We are, all of us, independent, because that is what we tell ourselves we need to be to survive. We learned early to rely on ourselves and have been telling ourselves how important that is ever since. But connecting with each other, over books, over coffee, over ice cream, is the way we enrich those independent lives. We don’t like to admit it, perhaps, but we do need other people.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Talking Shop—Who’s your victim?

Posted on September 25, 2025 by kaitcarson

“Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” Robert Louis Stevenson

I write murder mysteries. Although they don’t all start out that way, and sometimes aren’t meant to be about murder at all. The story may begin with something that I want to explore. Human smuggling, corruption, drug dealing, greed and its ever-faithful counterpart, envy. Then, before you know it, the dead guy shows up. Since I don’t write international thrillers, my victims are everyday folks. That brings up a problem. How does a writer decide who needs killin’?

The process differs for every writer. Some find someone they really, really, really don’t like. Then they gleefully kill them off. I’ve been trying to do that to someone for a while now. The problem is, I’m still angry, and haven’t devised anything evil enough…yet. Other authors select an evildoer they’ve read or heard about and let their imagination take over. You have to admit, there’s a lot of grist for that mill. Stream-of-consciousness writers (a/k/a pantsers) just start the book and wait to see who dies. It’s as good a way as any other.

My way is a little different. One of my college majors was psychology. The study fascinated me, especially the part that dealt with how we are the masters of our destiny and authors of our downfall. The concept is like catnip to my creative mind. It’s not about blaming the victim, but about finding the moment(s) in the victim’s life that set his fate in motion. Stevenson knew his stuff.

Before I begin a book, I know three things. The victim, the protagonist, and the crime. The first mystery to be solved is why the victim died. What dreadful or unlucky event brought him to his seat at the banquet of his consequences? To discover that, I write a profile and slip on the victim’s life like a second skin. My notes delve into his childhood, education, employment, and business associates. I learn what he does for fun, and why. His personality, politics, core beliefs, and sensibilities come into play. What does he value, and why? Somewhere in this free-form writing, a behavioral pattern becomes obvious that sets the victim apart from the other characters. It’s this pattern and the victim’s reactions and rationalizations that tell me why he needs killin’. Now all that’s left is to find the right person for the job.

Writers: What’s your process? Readers: Do you read with an eye to why someone had to die? Do you feel cheated if you can’t identify an underlying cause?

(The pronoun ‘he’ is a convenience of convention, not a definitive identifier. I’ve killed women too.)

Posted in Kait's posts | Tagged plotting, Victims, writing process | 8 Comments

Thank You!

Posted on September 23, 2025 by Sandra Neily

Sandra Neily here:

At this time, I’ve decided to stop posting at Maine Crime Writers, but it’s with some sadness as this is such a generous and talented community of writers. Many have often helped me with special requests for help and information. Thank you!

I feel the need to increase my author visibility somehow, and I posted this To-Do list (here) last month.

Thanks to Maureen for her audio book advice!

“I WILL finish the 3rd “Mystery in Maine” this year. I have it plotted out; now it’s just … butt in the chair time. It looks like I will be serializing the beginning of this mystery in our area newspaper, hopefully to jump start a conversation about current development pressures. I plan to get an audio book out for “Deadly Trespass.” I have a goal to set up guest visits on at least two podcasts this year, and I bought a tripod for my phone and will be offering up short readings for my YouTube channel. I plan to do these readings in various outdoor locations that might be unusual: half buried in leaf pile for example. Am feeling like I have not been visible enough, hence this ambitious list.”

After knee replacement, I could take the boat out if I snagged a crew member to hop out and handle the lines and then help me out. (Granddaughter worked!)

Hoping readers will share this! I wrote a previous post on not-widely-known cancer tips that strongly resonates. (Either personally or with family and friends.) It might have been my most-shared post, often traveling widely out into the world. I include it here with hopes it will get reshared. Chemo tips https://wp.me/p8Z7gb-7V7

I’ve enjoyed so much the summer posts of my peers here. Here I’ve included some info about my summer. Mainly, a chance to read more, sit on my deck more, pat the dogs … all during my second knee replacement in June. (Good introspection time, too.)

Cindy walked my dogs into exhaustion.

Some highlights: I hired a fabulous dog-walker who came twice a day to treat our dogs to long woods rambles and tons of love. Then she treated me to company, laughs, and good care.

Bob at the arctic circle!

After the first yucky week of ice, ice, ice, I sent my husband off to Alaska with his good friends so he could do something he’d always dreamed of doing.

It’s clear that the young ones could care less about my stationary status elevating body parts. And that was great medicine!

And Bob came home and carried us all (dogs, camper) off to the river, which is always the most healing thing I can imagine.

Of course the dogs get the bed when we need the camper’s floor space.

Thank you, Maine Crime Writers. I will be reading and sharing you … with great gratitude.

Posted in Sandra's Posts, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Writing a series: What to leave in, what to leave out

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Maureen Milliken

When I’m at events where I have an opportunity to sell my books, the most-asked question by far from potential readers is “Do I have to read them in order?”

Short answer: “No!”

But if you know me, you know there’s never a short answer.

I’ve been a reader of mystery series for decades longer than I’ve been a writer of one. I take it for granted that there will be references to things that happened in previous books that I don’t have the full story on, but also understand, without even thinking about it, that I don’t need to know what happened to get the full benefit of the story in the book I’m reading.

Great book, but what happened to Pete’s leg?

As a writer, that’s how I approach it, too. There are now four books in the Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea mystery series, with a fifth one on the way. That’s a lot of murder, mystery and mayhem. The characters have gone through stuff. They’re going to mention it, or think about it. But they can’t too much, or they’ll cross the line. Readers of the current book who haven’t read past ones shouldn’t be hit with things that have little or nothing to do with the plot of the current book. Best case, it’s an unnecessary distraction. Worst case, they think it has to do with the plot of the book they’re reading, but they don’t have enough information and get frustrated.

It’s a fine balance. I tell potential readers that each mystery story is contained in its book. They don’t need to read previous books to understand the plot. They also don’t need to wait for a future book for plot loose ends to be tied up.

If they enjoy how character relationships evolve, they should start at the beginning.

I usually add that I like to start at the beginning of a series, and if I read a book that’s in the middle of a series, and enjoy it, I have to go back and read the first one after I’m done. As I read my way through a series, when I get to the book I’ve already read, I read it again and see how my perception of what’s going on has changed.

I also tell them that in my mystery world, when horrific things happen to people, a few months later they’re still going to be having some kind of effect. That’s true for non-horrific things. Each of my books takes place within a few months of the previous one. I can’t help but have references in my books to things that happened in previous ones, but I try to keep them general and brief, giving readers just enough info for the context they need for the current book.

Usually by now the potential reader’s eyes have glazed over and they buy a book just to shut me up. They usually buy the first in the series. Probably just to be safe, since I lost them somewhere in the weeds of my answer to their question.

I don’t remember ever looking up, or doing much research, on how to handle information from previous books in a series when writing. I already understood the balance from a lifetime of reading mystery series. Dorothy L. Sayers, Sue Grafton, Elizabeth George, P.D. James, Nevada Barr and countless others were my tutorials. Some handle it more deftly than others. Some provide lots of info, some none. As I read hundreds (thousands?) of mystery series books, my brain socked away my reader preferences.

One of my writer guidelines is “What would Maureen the reader want?” When writing I’ve developed, I hope, a system that touches on things that happened in previous books that are still somehow relevant without spoiling those books for new readers or messing up their enjoyment of the one in their hands.

I experienced a huge example of all of this earlier this month, when I was a guest at my aunt’s book group. They’d all read DYING FOR NEWS, the fourth book in my series. Only my aunt had read the previous three. Unfamiliarity with the first three books didn’t seem to keep them from enjoying it. (Whew! Thank you!) Still, the biggest question of the day was, “What happened to Pete’s leg?”

In DFN, Pete, the police chief and Bernie’s love interest, is recovering from a serious leg injury that has some impact on character development and minor plot impact. Readers need to know he has issues with his leg. The book refers a couple of times to his hiking accident, but readers who don’t know what happened probably get that it’s a euphemism for something much bigger. While there’s emotional fallout from how he injured it, the details aren’t necessary in DYING FOR NEWS. Anything they need to know about it for their understanding of the book is in the book. It’s not much more than what I’ve written here.

Pete’s “hiking accident” is a major part of the previous book, BAD NEWS TRAVELS FAST. To go into detail about it in later books would spoil the narrative arc, as well as the drama and suspense for anyone who hasn’t read it.

But too much detail in subsequent books can also spoil the story in those books. Readers may feel like those details have something to do with the current plot, which they don’t.

It took a lot of writerly thinking to achieve the balance of taking care of new readers without spoiling two books for them. It could also spoil the current book for people who’ve read the previous one — who wants a rehash of stuff they already know? Let’s get on with the new story!

I didn’t tell the members of my aunt’s book group what happened to Pete’s leg. If they want to know, they have to read it for themselves.

A couple things about that: The biggest reason is I don’t want to spoil the fun of BAD NEWS TRAVELS FAST for them. I wrote it a certain way, and knowing what happens lessens the impact. Also, listening to myself trying to explain the plot of a book, or even an out-of-context plot point, makes me want to run home and curl up on the couch with a blanket over my head.

I also didn’t tell them that just to force them to buy the third book. It’s a column for another day to fully get into it, but I am a firm believer that the only thing a writer should do in order to make readers want to read the other books in a series is to write a compelling enough story that they want more. I’ll answer questions about books that don’t spoil the story. Happily and at length. I would also never ever have a plot cliff-hanger that someone would have to buy the next book in order to resolve. I don’t feel that’s playing fair with readers.

Every writer handles it differently, but it’s important to understand that balance if you’re planning on writing a series. Aspiring writers should think hard about the tissue that will run through the books. Seasoned writers should keep it front of mind as they continue a series.

Think about your reader self and how you’ve reacted to how that’s done in series. If you’re setting out to write a mystery series, but have never read one, sit down with a couple to see what they do and how you feel about it.

It’s okay for readers to wonder what happened to Pete’s leg. How much it matters and how much you reveal in later books is up to you as a writer.

Posted in Maureen's Posts, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Weekend Update: September 20-21, 2025

Posted on September 20, 2025 by kaitlynkathy

Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by Maureen Milliken (Monday), Sandra Neily (Tuesday), Kait Carson (Thursday), and Dick Cass (Friday).

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

Maureen Milliken and Kate Flora were featured last week in a story on Bangor’s ABC7 and Fox22. Click here to watch.

Matt Cost will be the MC along with Jule Selbo on Friday, September 26, for Noir at the Bar. The event will begin promptly at 7 p.m. at Novel in Portland. There will be ten fabulous crime readers, drinks, food, and plenty of good times.

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, along with the very popular “Making a Mystery” with audience participation, and “Casting Call: How We Staff Our Mysteries.” We also do programs on Zoom. Contact Kate Flora

Posted in Sunday Updates | Tagged Dick Cass, Kait Carson, Maine Crime Writers news, Maureen Milliken, Sandra Neily | Leave a comment

Crime Wave; the Roundtable Way!

Posted on September 19, 2025 by matthewcost

Crime Wave in Portland, Maine, like any good mystery, has a good ole twist this year.

Festivities start off on Friday, September 26^th, at 4:00 with a special guided tour at the Maine Historical Society for the special exhibit, Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye, 1690-1940. Get a chance to experience Maine’s fascination with true crime through history from early American printing to the dawn of photojournalism, public consumption, and the social impact of high-profile Maine Crimes. More Info.

This amazing road trip through the history of Maine Crime will be followed by Noir at Novel. Fellow Maine Crime Writer, Gabi Stiteler has put together an amazing cast of literary legends reading five-minute snippets of their work. This will take place in the very speakeasy vibe of the basement space at Novel in Portland.

The doors to Noir at Novel will open at 6:30 to grab a cocktail, share some gab, and prepare yourself for a night of chills, laughs, twists, and moral ambiguity. Maine Crime Writer Jule Selbo and I will host an incredible array of talent of cynical protagonists set in gritty and dark settings from the city streets to the north woods. Lit legends sharing their work will include Brenda Buchanan, Richard Cass, Bruce Robert Coffin, Paul Doiron, Mo Drammeh, Julia Spencer Fleming, Kate Flora, Chris Holm, Barbara Ross, Gabriela Stiteler, and Katie York. Wow. Just wow. More Info.

And then comes the Crime Wave Roundtables. The format this year is something… novel this year. Instead of panels where authors speak at you, we are going to make connections by having a series of round table discussions. There will be an ‘expert’ at each table to moderate and move the conversation along, but it will be a much more immersive and interactive experience this year. Crime connections will be made.

More Info on Experts.

The day will start with Speed Connections. This will give people an opportunity to meet a variety of other attendees. Published writers, those working the first draft or looking for a publisher, and readers, will all get a chance to mingle in an organized fashion.

Then, we will have the first session of roundtable conversations. The first theme will be Playing the Long Game and topics at the various tables will include Building an Addictive Series; One & Done: Writing Standout Standalones; Twists & Turns: Committing the Perfect Short Story; Choose Your Weapons: Writing Tools, Research, and Resources; Getting It Done: Planning, Outlining, or None of the Above; First Drafts That Kill; No Loose Ends: Revision Tactics; and The Blueprint for Murder: Crime Novel Structures.

After a short break, session number two will begin, The Business of Crime Writing 101with the following topics: The Path to Traditional Publishing; Hybrid & Self-Publishing; Bring Your Book to Screen: Options; Short Stories: Characteristics, Markets, and Submissions; Online Marketing: Websites & Social Media; Talks, Events, and Conferences; and Mid-Career Blahs: Changing Agents or Publishers.

After lunch and Two Minutes in the Slammer, Julia Spencer Fleming will host this year’s CRIME MASTER, Paul Doiron. This promises to be an exhilarating conversation between two masters of the craft as they discuss the finer points of writing bestselling mysteries.

The final round table session of the day will follow, Many Rooms in the Mansion, about subgenres. Conversations will include: The Call from Inside the House: Domestic Thrillers & Romantic Suspense; The World at Risk: High Stakes Thrillers; Professional Sleuths; Amateur Sleuths, Cozies, Traditional Mysteries; Out of this World: Paranormal/Supernatural; Younger Readers: YA/Middle Grade/Children’s; and Plumbing the Past: Historical; True Crime.

Each roundtable session will also offer a specific workshop breakout session. The first one will be offered by me on The Six Hats a Writer Must Wear, or the many jobs that they must be accomplished at, from ideas, to research, to writing, to editing, to marketing, and finally promoting.

The second workout breakout session will have Barbara Kelly talking about How Not to Do a Book Reading. This is most certainly one of the six hats that a writer must do, and do well, to build their brand, increase their sales, and get people reading their books.

The third workshop, in the afternoon, will be The Doctor is In, with instructors Gayle Lynds and Gabi Stiteler.

More Info on the Workshops.

The conference will end up with a wild, free-wheeling, melee of an author panel with a panel riffing on just about everything in the writing world moderated by Brenda Buchanan.

More Info on the Schedule.

That is a day of it. Come check it out. Write on!

The 2025 Crime Wave, Crime Connections, CrimeTables, planning committee.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

It’s Been a Week for Sky Watching

Posted on September 18, 2025 by mainecrimewriters

Kate Flora: I haven’t been doing enough writing lately, what with one thing and another. Now, I really need to focus on my WIP. I’m 67K in, and in the middle of a critical scene, and I’m stuck, waiting for my characters to tell me which way they want to go with it.

Yes, it’s true. As many writers will tell you, we may pretend to be in charge but sometimes our characters simply start acting in ways we don’t plan. They’ll say things that surprise us. They’ll do things that have us, as the writer, waving our arms about and saying, “No. No. Don’t do that! It’s dangerous.” The first time or two it happens, it’s too scary and we make our characters behave. Yet later, because we’ve learned to trust our characters, we take dictation from them and follow along to see where the story will go. So tomorrow, once again, I will sit myself down at the keyboard and see what on earth that distressed teenage girl who was present at the shooting is going to say.

But summer is about to wind down, and so I’ve been allowing myself to indulge in these last warm days. Is it truly indulgent to jump into an icy sea? I’ve certainly been doing it. Icy plunges, reading in my LL Bean rocking chair, getting delicious apple cider donuts at the farmer’s market. And cooking to-die-for delicious double chocolate zucchini bread. Is it any wonder that I’m not getting my writing done?

double chocolate zucchini bread

But, as Scarlett O’Hara says, “Tomorrow is another day.” Hopefully, it will be the day I resolve that scene before weekend company comes. Before I have to zip down to Kennebunkport, to the Graves Library, on Saturday, where I’ll be at 2:00 p.m. to talk about writing. And for today?

Cloud watching and sunsets, which are always most beautiful in September and October.

How are you spending these last, lovely days of summer?

Posted in Kate's Posts | 2 Comments

How to Spot a Scam, Writers’ Edition

Posted on September 16, 2025 by mainecrimewriters

Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson here, once again marveling at the things that turn up in my e-mail. Once upon a time it was easy to spot scammers. They were pretty transparent in their efforts to convince me to let them fix my website, promote my books, or expand my presence on social media. There would be a link included that, if I bothered to click on it, would take me to a site that offered wonderful results for an exorbitant price. In a variation on the theme, the solicitation would sometimes be for free copies of my books. These were easy to separate from the occasional legitimate request for a book donation for an auction or other charitable fundraiser. A big clue was that these e-mails were generic, some of them so generic that they didn’t even bother to mention one of my titles, despite the fact they were claiming to be interested in a book I wrote. Lately, though, possibly because scammers have started using AI, the scams have become much more personalized. They almost sound as if they might be legit.

From the subject line and the first paragraph of the most recent one I received, I initially thought this was fan mail. I quote:

Subject: Haunted Maine Castles? I’m already intrigued… and slightly jealous

I have to say, The Mystery of Hilliard’s Castle had me hooked before I even cracked open a page, partly because a locked tower in rural Maine sounds like my kind of nightmare, and partly because your setup screams late-night plotting, obsessive editing, and at least a few cups of cold coffee sacrificed to the literary gods. Kerry and Lyle navigating March in a dismal corner of Maine? The anxiety, the eeriness, the “what’s behind that locked door?” tension, you’ve basically bottled adolescent fear and curiosity into something I’m convinced is irresistible to readers who love suspense, clever plotting, and emotional authenticity. You didn’t just write a mystery; you built a miniature haunted world with heart.

1985 cover

I’ll get back to that paragraph in a minute. Paragraph two quickly destroyed the illusion that someone had actually read this juvenile mystery first published back in 1985. My correspondent introduced herself as the “curator of a private community of over 2,000 real, passionate readers, lawyers, teachers, nurses, engineers, people who actually care enough to not just click “Buy” but to think, feel, and leave meaningful reviews. No websites, no LinkedIn badges, no smoke and mirrors, just a network of readers who genuinely devour books like yours.”

She goes on to sat that her readers help “first-time or under-reviewed titles” get “Honest, trustworthy feedback you can actually rely on (no fluff, no fake five-stars). . . Increased visibility on Amazon and other platforms, giving your book a fighting chance against the algorithms . . . Reviews that spark conversation and engagement your story doesn’t just sit on a shelf; it starts a buzz . . . Long-term credibility and connection with readers who will remember your characters and talk about them months from now.”

Uh-huh. As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And, of course, it is interesting that she is supposedly familiar with this book and yet has no idea that I’ve had sixty-three other titles traditionally published and have self-published others. That’s not my ego being affronted. Anyone who’s making a pitch to a stranger should have the courtesy to look her up online first, or at least read the author bio in the back of the book.

The sales pitch continues for two more paragraphs. She never mentions money and does not include a link, but she clearly wants me to reply to the e-mail. The final line is “Are you ready to let your castle haunt the hearts of real readers?”

Real readers? Gee—I thought all the kids, ages 8-12, who have read this book during the last forty years were pretty darned real.

I could have deleted this e-mail, but I started to wonder if it had been written by a real person or generated by AI. If it was a real person, it was clear she had not actually read my book. The Mystery of Hilliard’s Castle is just that—a mystery novel. It isn’t “my kind of nightmare” and there is no adolescent “fear,” nor does it create a “miniature haunted world.” There is a locked tower, but the “castle” is just a house with a tower and there is nothing frightening behind the locked door that leads into it. I guess the “Haunted Maine Castles?” in the subject line should have tipped me off right from the start.

In paragraph two, the e-mail’s author misspells her own name, but is that proof AI was involved, or just a typo? I’ve certainly mistyped my own name more than once, but I usually catch and correct it before I hit send.

Out of curiosity, I Googled this person’s name. She has zero Internet presence. Then I asked writer friends on Facebook if they’ve heard from her. None had, but they’ve received similar solicitations. Old-timers are unlikely to fall for this kind of ploy, but I worry about newly-published writers. All I can say is beware. A whole lot of people in cyberspace are just itching to take advantage of your natural desire publicize your work.

Kathy Lynn Emerson/Kaitlyn Dunnett has had sixty-four books traditionally published and has self published others. She won the Agatha Award and was an Anthony and Macavity finalist for best mystery nonfiction of 2008 for How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries and was an Agatha Award finalist in 2015 in the best mystery short story category. In 2023 she won the Lea Wait Award for “excellence and achievement” from the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. She was the Malice Domestic Guest of Honor in 2014. She is currently working on creating new editions of her backlist titles. Her website is http://www.KathyLynnEmerson.com.