All posts by Patti

Crime fiction goes south–to Florida

CCW Newsletter, Events, Workshops
CCW members R.J. Harlick, C.B. Forrest, and Vicki Delany head south to meet with fans from Florida.
CCW members R.J. Harlick, C.B. Forrest, and Vicki Delany head south to meet with fans from Florida.

Our CCW Florida satellite team (AKA Ken Gibson)  arranged for three lauded crime fiction writers (and CCW members): Vicki Delany, R.J. Harlick, and C.B. Forrest to appear as featured guests at the

This writerly trio will be appearing at the Lake County Library System’s 11th annual Lake BookFest, Delicious Reads event from March 13-15, 2014. Lake County is situated north of Orlando.

These authors will be appearing at the BookFest:

On Thursday, March 13 from 1 – 3:30 p.m for “Northern Exposure: Canadian Crime Fiction”  at the Leesburg Public Library. This event will introduce new works and exciting news.

On Friday, March 14 at 1 p.m.  for “Across the Border” at the W. T. Bland Public Library in Mount Dora. The authors will discuss the differences in the crime genre from a Canadian perspective.
On Saturday, March 15 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. to lead a  writing workshop on “The Art of Character – Creating Memorable Characters” at the Cooper Memorial Library  in Clermont.

For more information about their Florida appearances, see this news release.

Learn about Canada’s border security

Events, Meetings

CBSA
The February meeting wiil take place at 7:00 on Wednesday, February 12 in the Honeywell Room at City Hall. The speaker will be Peter Rickard of  the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Peter is currently the manager of Compliance for the Advance Passenger Information Program at CBSA. He is responsible for monitoring and analyzing passenger data to determine compliance with Canadian law for arriving international commercial aircraft. His current interests encompass aviation security, regulatory compliance, and fraud investigation.

The CBSA provides border services that support national security and public safety while enabling the free flow of legitimate persons and goods. Headquartered in Ottawa, CBSA monitors, investigates, detains and removes people or goods in violation of the laws. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, measures have become increasingly important to protect the safety of Canadians. Using advance information and international partnerships, CBSA identifies and intercepts threats before they arrive at Canada’s borders.

Peter’s talk will include the history and purpose of CBSA, aviation and trade security. he will discuss the challenges faced by the agency, including terrorism smuggling, human trafficking and money laundering.

Start plotting the perfect crime for the 2014 CCW story contest

Contests
Murder you can get away with--the fictional kind.
Murder you can get away with–the fictional kind.

Plot fictional revenge on your unfavourite people and write a short story featuring the perfect crime.

Details for the 2014 Capital Crime Writers Contest are now posted.

The contest is open to residents of the National Capital Region and all members of the Capital Crime Writers. You must be 18 years of age or older. Cash prizes are available:

  • 1st prize: $200
  • 2nd prize: $150
  • 3rd prize: $75

Jan. 8 – Elizabeth Fry director to discuss women who commit crime

Meetings
CCW January meeting topic: Women who commit crime.
CCW January meeting topic: Women who commit crime.

Bryonie Baxter, the executive director of Elizabeth Fry Ottawa, will speak to Capital Crime Writer members on the subject of women who commit crime.

A veteran educator with the Peel District School Board,  including positions as Vice-Principal, Secondary for two schools and I.B. Coordinator in one high school, Byronie co-authored The Future We Want: Building Inclusive Schools. Bryonie moved to Ottawa in March 2008 and began working for The Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa in July of that year. As well as being Executive Director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa, she is also a Federal Advocate for the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies and President of the Council of Elizabeth Fry Societies of Ontario.

In April 2010 Bryonie was the proud recipient of a Province of Ontario Leading Women, Building Communities Award recognizing her “exceptional community leadership to improve the lives of women and girls in Ontario”. Bryonie also sits on the East Region Director’s Resource Committee of the Office of the Independent Police Review Directorate.

When and Where:
Jan. 8, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Ottawa City Hall – Honeywell Room 2nd floor.

Follow Byronie on Twitter: @ByronieBaxter

Launch of a supernatural whodunnit

Book Launches

CCW member Mike Young is launching his first novel, Kirk’s Landing, on December 11th, at 8pm. at  Daniel O’Connell’s Pub, 1211 Wellington West, Ottawa.

Kirk’s Landing features Dave Browne, a big city undercover cop, with the power of invisibility who gets his cover blown by a biker gang in Toronto. He’s sent to head up a RCMP detachment in a supposedly quiet small town in Manitoba, and soon finds that Kirk’s Landing has a lot more going on under the surface that he had anticipated, including corruption at the mill, murder, and an evil spirit.

Annual Christmas dinner – Dec. 11

Meetings
Toronto author Howard Shrier
Toronto author Howard Shrier

Put Dec. 11 on your calendar! The CCW annual Christmas Dinner features special guest Howard Shrier.

Where: Grillman Fresh Eatery, 111 Colonnade Rd.

When:  Wednesday, December 11, 2013th

Time:   Mingling begins at 5:30 p.m.

This year’s December guest speaker – Howard Shrier is a two-time Arthur Ellis Award winner. The first Ellis was for Best First Novel for Buffalo Jump, which introduced Toronto investigator Jonah Geller, and the second for his sequel High Chicago. Last May saw the release of his fourth novel in the Geller series, Miss Montreal. The Geller books have been optioned for television.

Books will be available for purchase.

Nov. 13 – Editors: Your gateway to publication

Meetings

Editors are the unsung heroes of the publishing world, often making the difference between a manuscript that gets tossed or one that wins an award. Editors are also the gatekeepers of the publishing world, the first ones who read a manuscript and determine whether it deserves being passed up the chain.

dead_fred_cropped

Allister Thompson has more than 15 years of experience as an editor for publishing houses, having guided some of the country’s top award-winning crime writers. He is now a freelance editor and consultant. Allister knows what it takes to move your manuscript from the slush pile to the bookstore.

CB Forrest is the author of the critically-acclaimed Charlie McKelvey mystery series, a discovery of Allister’s back in 2008. Forrest will moderate an engaging session as Allister shares with the Capital Crime Writers his years of experience, tips to help make your manuscript stand out, mistakes to avoid, and his views on the future of publishing.

The moderated session will provide ample opportunity for questions and feedback, but individual appointments can be booked with Allister prior to the event. He can be contacted via his website at www.allisterthompson.com.

Also, here’s an interesting Q & A with Allister from July: Five Questions and Answers with editor Allister Thompson

Next meeting: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013

Time and place: 7 p.m., Honeywell Room, City Hall

Oct. 9 meeting – The cyber arm of the law

Events, Meetings

cyber_crime

Greg Bembridge will discuss basic techniques of computer forensics and the reasons for using them, and tell stories on how they have led to convictions. He is a certified computer examiner, a civilian member of the RCMP and a senior computer forensic instructor at the Canadian Police College.

Greg is a graduate of the Technical University of Nova Scotia and has been declared an expert witness in the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia court systems.

Currently, as a member of the Technological Crime Learning Institute team, he develops and teaches computer forensic examination techniques to Canadian and international law enforcement agencies. Prior to this, Greg was a forensic analyst with the RCMP’s Technological Crime Unit in Halifax where he was involved in the seizure and examination of electronic storage devices. He has conducted a number of lectures on computer forensic techniques.

Next meeting: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013

Time and place: 7 p.m., Honeywell Room, City Hall

Sept. 17 – Senator Vern White explores past policing experiences

Events, Meetings

Vern_WhiteSenator Vern White will be our speaker Tuesday, September 17. Most of us are familiar with his role as Chief of the Ottawa Police Service from 2005 to 2012. He also worked with the RCMP as Assistant Commissioner, and served in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and three northern territories, as well as Ontario.

He will be speaking about his experience in those provinces and territories.

The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Honeywell Room, second floor, at Ottawa City Hall.