March CCW Meeting

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When: 7:00 pm, Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Where: Honeywell Room, second floor, Ottawa City Hall.
Speaker: Staff Sergeant Stephanie Burns of the Organized Fraud Section of the Ottawa Police Service.
Fraud is all around. The Ottawa Police Organized Fraud Section focuses on investigating fraud matters and trends that can be linked, tracked and documented such as:
  • Fraud Against Seniors
  • Counterfeit Fraud (currency and other documents)
  • Credit Cards and Debit Card Fraud,
  • Cheque Fraud
  • Social Assistance (welfare) Fraud
  • Computer Fraud
  • Identity Theft
  • Corporate Fraud
Some common scams include: email scams, advance fee scams, cheque overpayment scams, charitable organization scams, lottery scams, computer virus scams (haven’t we all heard “This is Windows Technical Department and we are receiving bad signals from your computer,” romance scams, loans/scholarship scams, tax and Revenue Canada scams (It seems the frausters don’t know it has long been called Canada Revenue Agency), seniors being targeted, blessing scams, and door to door scams.
Staff Sergeant Burns has been a police officer for 25 years. She is a full-time officer, a part-time photographer and a lover of horses at all times. When there is a jewelry box, other people may see a beautiful item, she will see a great surface for fingerprints. Staff Sergeant Burns is on Twitter and often tweets advice such as: banks don’t communicate security concerns via text message. She will talk to CCW about fraud and provide advice on how to avoid it.

Meet our 2017 Audrey short story contest judges!

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It’s time to tap into your inner sleuth, and start crafting your short story crime fiction masterpiece for this year’s CCW Audrey short story contest.  This is your chance to put your story in front of our panel of award-winning professional writers. Meet our judges:

Brenda Chapman

Brenda Chapman

Ottawa crime writer Brenda Chapman began her writing career with the Jennifer Bannon mysteries for young adults with Running Scared, the first in the series, released in 2004. During this period, Brenda wrote short stories that were published in various magazines, including Canadian Living, Storyteller and the 2005 anthology When Boomers Go Bad. In 2010, her first standalone mystery for adults entitled In Winter’s Grip was released. She currently has two adult series in the works: the Anna Sweet mysteries for adult literacy (Grass Roots Press) and the Stonechild and Rouleau mysteries — Shallow End, the fourth in this police procedural series will be on the shelves in March 2017 (Dundurn).

Melissa Yi/Yuan-Innes

Melissa Yi/Yuan-Innes

Melissa Yi is an emergency physician who writes Derringer Award-nominated mysteries. CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter selected STOCKHOLM SYNDROME, the Hope Sze medical thriller about a Montreal hostage-taking, as one of the best crime novels of the season. Melissa’s work has been hailed as “impressive” and “moving” by Publishers Weekly. Her short fiction has graced Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Jewish Noir, Indian Country Noir, Sleuth Magazine, and will appear the upcoming Montreal Noir. In her spare time, Melissa chases after two small children and one large Rottweiler. She hangs out at Facebook, Twitter (@dr_sassy) and melissayuaninnes.com.

Madona Skaff-Koren

Madona Skaff-Koren

Madona Skaff-Koren was a past president of both Capital Crime Writers and the Ottawa Chapter of Sisters in Crime.  With a degree in biology, she worked in mining research for many years.  In 2015 she published her mystery novel, “JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND STEPS” (Renaissance Press), about a marathon runner disabled by MS who turns sleuth to find her missing friend. She has also published several short stories, including the Arthur Ellis finalist “FIRST IMPRESSIONS”, which appeared in The Whole She-Bang 2 (2014). Find her on Facebook, at madonaskaff.com and renaissancebookpress.com.

Festive dinner Dec. 14

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When and where

When: Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 6 p.m.
Where: Tony Capones Italian Grill, 2369 Carling Avenue, Ottawa

The festive dinner takes place at Capone’s Italian Grill.  Come for dinner, starting at 6 p.m.  Our after dinner speaker is R.J. Harlick, author of  the Meg Harris mystery series.

Space is limited.  Please email president@capitalcrimewriters.com to reserve your place.  Please include the number of people in your party.

A Quick Killing: Writing the Mystery Short Story

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When and where

When: Monday November 7, 2016 at 6:15-8:15 p.m.
Where: Alta Vista Branch, Ottawa Public Library, 2516 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa

Join us as Melanie Fogel, editor of Triptych Tales, presents an overview of the fundamentals of mystery short story writing. Register on the Ottawa Public Library website under the Programs and events tab.
Melanie Fogel has spent over thirty years in & around publishing.  She was a fiction editor for Storyteller, Canada’s Short Story Magazine for fifteen years.  Her work has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. 
Melanie was nominated for an Arthur Ellis Award in 2006.  She is the author of two books, The Storyteller Fiction Writer’s Companion and The Storyteller Fiction Writers Workbook.

Forensic Identification – Crime Scene Analysis

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Topic: Forensic Identification – Crime Scene Analysis
Date: Wednesday, October 12
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Colonel By Room, second floor, Ottawa City Hall

Kelly Menna of the Ottawa Police Service will be discussing the role of the Forensic Section of the police service in investigations.

Kelly joined the Ottawa Police Service in 2008 and was assigned to general patrol/911 response in the West End. In 2011, Kelly received training as a Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO), authorized to forensically process scenes, such as break and enters, mischief to properties, assaults etc on top of general calls for service.

In January 2016, Kelly transferred to the Forensic Identification Section (FIS) and so returned to the Ontario Police College for approximately three months for further training, graduating at the top of the class for fingerprint submissions and second overall.

The Forensic Identification Section (FIS) provides 24/7 service for Ottawa. It is responsible for crime scene documentation, including the identification, collection, preservation, examination and continuity of crime scene exhibits.

A Forensic Identification Officer has a demanding and complex set of duties that is supported through diverse education and training as well as practical experience. They attend crime scenes ranging from break and enters to deaths and near death (including suicides and attempted suicides, homicides, fatal and near fatal motor vehicle accidents). Popular television shows like “CSI” have brought attention to the science of forensic analysis and although these shows are very entertaining, crimes are not always solved that quickly.

Book launch for latest offerings by Fradkin and Wiken

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Barbara Fradkin, CCW author and two-time winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel, is set to launch, Fire in the Stars, the first book in a new series. The book introduces Amanda Doucette, a former foreign aid worker who has returned to Canada to recover from a traumatic experience in Africa and finds herself searching for a fellow survivor gone missing in Newfoundland.

 

Although it’s a different setting and cast of characters, Fradkin hopes that readers who enjoy Inspector Green will find Amanda’s commitment, determination, and compassion equally engaging.

 

The launch also features Ladies’ Killing Circle compatriot Linda Wiken, who is also launching a new series.

 

Enjoy the refreshments while listening to these authors read excerpts from their newest work.

When and where

  • September 28, 7 – 9 p.m.
  • Mother McGinty’s Stage of the Heart and Crown Pub, 67 Clarence St.
 The best parking is in the parking garage right across the street, but you can also try street parking.
fradkin_launch_fire_in_the_stars

Can-Con 2016: Canadian content conference in speculative arts and lit

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The conference takes place from September 9-11, 2016 at the Novotel Hotel (33 Nicholas Street, Ottawa).

Specifically for writers, a literary agent from New York (from the JABberwocky Agency) will be flown in. There will be a chance to talk with him over coffee, see him on panels, and to mingle with him at the publisher receptions at night. There are many experienced authors and editors and some small press publishers as well. And an RCMP Sergeant will be giving a 50-minute presentation on Investigations and Forensics.

CCW president Michael Murphy has attended  the last two conferences and enjoyed them a great deal. While the conference is not specifically geared to mystery people, there are a number of workshops which are of benefit to the writing community.

Go to www.can-con.org for the program.

CCW meeting dates for Fall 2016

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The program committee is busy arranging an interesting lineup for the Fall 2016 period.  The lineup is below.

NOTE: Date and locale change for September meeting.

  • SEPTEMBER MEETING:  The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday September 22nd Wednesday, September 21 at 7 p.m.  Our guest speaker is Debra Komar, who was a forensic anthropologist.  She will speak on what a forensic anthropologist does.  Debra has also written a number of true crime books dealing with historical cases in Canada.  Her latest book is entitled “Black River Road: an Unthinkable Crime, an Unlikely Suspect, and the Question of Character.”   Copies will be available for sale.  PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEETING IS IN CENTREPOINTE BRANCH OF THE OTTAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY (101 CENTREPOINTE DRIVE). THE MEETING IS IN ROOM 1B (go in building, meeting room beside entrance to Library) THE RICHMOND ROOM  (second floor, Ottawa City Hall).

This meeting is also your first chance to pay your dues for the 2016-17 period.  Most of the members renew at this time.  Please come.  Either Elizabeth (CCW treasurer) or I will be happy to take your money.  There will also be a brief discussion at the start of the meeting on a couple of business items.

  • OCTOBER MEETING:  Scheduled for Wednesday October 12, 7 pm.  THIS MEETING IS IN THE COLONEL BY ROOM (our regular room).  Speaker arrangements are in progress.
  • NOVEMBER MEETING:  Scheduled for Monday, November 7, 6:15-8:15.  Takes place at the Alta Vista Branch, Ottawa Public Library (2516 Alta  Vista Drive) The program is entitled “A Quick Killing: Writing the Mystery Short Story”.  Our Speaker is CCW friend Melanie Fogel, who edited STORYTELLER: CANADA’S SHORT STORY MAGAZINE.  Melanie is currently involved with triptychtales.net.
  • DECEMBER MEETING:  Scheduled for Wednesday December 14.  We meet at a restaurant, enjoy dinner and an after dinner speaker.  Our speaker is R.J. Harlick, long time CCW member and author of the Meg Harris mystery series.  More details to follow
  • AUTHOR READING OF INTEREST:  Mark Leslie, author of “Creepy Capital: Ghost Stories of Ottawa and the National Capital Region” comes to the Rideau branch of the Ottawa Public Library (377 Rideau St) onSaturday, September 10 at 1:00 pm.