April meeting

Writing What You Know: From the World of Diplomats to the World of Fiction by Randolf Harrold – Wednesday April 10, 2024 at 7:00 pm (EDT)

Randolf Harrold will be talking about his motivation and experience in writing two international thrillers, “Vice-Consul Panama” on the early growth of the drug trade in Noriega’s Panama, and the second, “Consul Rome” on post war democratic communism in Italy, the Iranian Revolution and the subsequent “Canadian Caper” to rescue American Embassy hostages.

Randolf Harrold has been a diplomat, serving in Latin America and Europe, a counter-intelligence professional, and a development assistance teacher in East Africa. With education in International Economics and Law, he has also been a senior bureaucrat in the Federal and Provincial governments and in later years developed new technology companies in the private sector.

He is now turning stories from his adventurous life into international thrillers.  Consul Rome is the second installment of his Cold War Trilogy, as entertainment reflecting lessons learned. He lives in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, and frequently spends time with family in Vancouver and in London, and often travels to Italy. His two exceptional daughters have blessed him and his spouse Diane with four wonderful grandchildren.

March meeting

Getting published is just the beginning: the trials, tribulations and triumphs of a first-time novelist by Don Butler – Wednesday March 13, 2024 at 7:00 pm (EST).

My talk will focus on the path to publication at age 70 of my début novel, A Life of Bliss, and what I’ve done to get people to actually read it. I’ll talk about the genesis of my novel, what was involved in writing it and what I’ve learned since the book came out. I’ll also talk about my sequel to A Life of Bliss, which comes out in May. While not a traditional crime novel, it does revolve around a cold-case murder and the efforts of my main character, retired journalist Norman Pugsley, to figure out who was responsible.

Don Butler worked as a journalist for more than four decades at the Ottawa Citizen. During his time at the newspaper, he covered politics at all levels, wrote editorials and held several positions in newsroom management, including executive editor. In 2004, he wrote a ground-breaking series on restorative justice that was nominated for Justice Canada’s prestigious Justicia Award. His first novel, A Life of Bliss, was released in 2021 by Ottawa Press and Publishing. He lives in Ottawa, is married to fellow journalist Christina Spencer and has two grown children, Sean Butler and Meagan Zucco. Norman’s Conquest, the sequel to A Life of Bliss, will be released in May, 2024.

Short Story Contest

Do you keep getting in trouble because of your insatiable need to make
up stories? Use your talents for good instead of evil and write those
stories down. Then enter them in our short story contest. Open to all
members of CCW and everyone living in Ottawa and the National Capital
Region. Deadline is April 2, 2024. Click here for more details.

February meeting

From the Big Five to Creating an Imprint by Peggy Blair – Wednesday February 14, 2024 at 7 pm (EST)

Peggy will discuss her reverse trajectory from being published by the Big Five and internationally to creating an imprint and self-publishing her fifth book. She’ll also talk about creating a couple of Indie Awards for self-published authors and for jacket cover art because of the gaps in the current system.

Peggy Blair is a retired lawyer, a Realtor, renovator, author and Level 5 boxer. She is probably best known for her #DearestMartha tweets during the Freedom Convoy. She lives in the country with a TV watching dog and a friendly cat.

January meeting

12 Easy Steps to Writing a Cozy Mystery by Lois Winston—Wednesday January 10, 2024 at 7 pm (EST).

USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Lois Winston began her award-winning writing career with Talk Gertie to Me, a humorous fish-out-of-water novel about a small-town girl going off to the big city and the mother who had other ideas. That was followed by the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception.

Then Lois’s writing segued unexpectedly into the world of humorous amateur sleuth mysteries, thanks to a conversation her agent had with an editor looking for craft-themed mysteries. In her day job Lois was an award-winning craft and needlework designer, and although she’d never written a mystery—or had even thought about writing a mystery—her agent decided she was the perfect person to pen a series for this editor. Thus, was born the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, which Kirkus Reviews dubbed “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” The series now includes twelve novels and three novellas. Lois also writes the Empty Nest Mysteries, currently at two novels, and one book so far in her Mom Squad Capers series.

To date Lois has published twenty-one novels, five novellas, several short stories, one children’s chapter book, and one nonfiction book on writing, inspired by her twelve years working as an associate at a literary agency. To learn more about Lois and her books, visit her at www.loiswinston.com where you can sign up for her newsletter and follow her at various social media sites.

Sad news – Jim Napier

It is with great sadness that we share the news that long time member of Capital Crime Writers, Jim Napier, passed away on December 23. He was the author of the Colin McDermott series, and a crime fiction reviewer. A talented writer and a dedicated friend to many.

If you would like to leave a message for the family or share some of your memories of Jim, please visit the Elkas Funeral Home site.

December meeting

Our December 2023 meeting was a dinner at the Britannia Yacht Club (Ottawa) with our guest speaker Norm Boucher. He gave us an interesting inside look into life undercover with the RCMP. You can read more details in his memoir Horseplay: My Time Undercover on the Granville Strip

December meeting

Please note that the December 13th meeting will be in-person. If you are interested in attending, please contact: president@capitalcrimewriters.com BEFORE November 30th.

Our guest speaker, Norm Boucher, will give us an inside look at life undercover, taken from his memoir Horseplay: My Time Undercover on the Granville Strip.

Working undercover is like taking on a new life, a life centred on drugs and crime. But nothing is as it seems from the inside, where trust is everything, violence always present, and people need each other to survive. Norm will talk about his time undercover, the characters he met, and the Vancouver heroin scene.

He will have copies of his book Horseplay, available for $20 (cash or e-transfer).

November meeting

Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie by Judy Penz Sheluk – Wednesday November 8th, 2023 at 7 pm (EST)

You’ve thought about self-publishing, but is it the right path for you? In Self-Publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie, Judy Penz Sheluk will cover the nuts and bolts of self-publishing from business basics and publishing platforms to post-publication sales and marketing strategies.

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and Marketville Mysteries, both of which have been published in multiple languages. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edited. With a passion for understanding the ins and outs of all aspects of publishing, Judy is also the founder and owner of Superior Shores Press, which she established in February 2018.

Judy is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she served on the Board of Directors for five years, the final two as Chair. She lives in Northern Ontario. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.

October meeting

A NaNoWriMo Success Story Shares Her Secrets by Gigi Pandian – Wednesday October 11th, 2023 at 7 pm (EST)

Unsure if you should participate in National Novel Writing Month this year? USA Today bestselling and multi-award-winning author Gigi Pandian shares how signing up for the NaNoWriMo challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in a month is how she finally got over self-doubt and finished writing her debut novel—and why she still uses the challenge today. She’ll share her tips and tricks for how to get the most out of the month that changed her life forever.

Gigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling author and locked-room mystery enthusiast who’s been awarded Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer awards. She writes the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries, Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries, and Secret Staircase Mysteries. She lives in Northern California with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over their backyard vegetable garden. Her latest novel is The Alchemist of Monsters and Mayhem, out October 10, 2023. Learn more and sign up for her email newsletter at www.gigipandian.com