2015 CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Several CCW members found that they were nominated for Arthur Ellis Awards on April 23.

BEST NOVEL:
Brenda Chapman for COLD MOURNING, Dundurn Press.
Barbara Fradkin for NONE SO BLIND,  Dundurn Press.

BEST NOVELLA:
Vicki Delany for  JUBA GOOD,  Orca Book Publishers

BEST SHORT STORY:
Madonna Skaff for FIRST IMPRESSIONS, in THE WHOLE SHE-BANG 2, Sisters in Crime

The complete list of moninees may be found at www.crimewriterscanada.com

Barbeques Are Murder! (dinner theatre)

A Murder Mystery Dinner Play 

By Maggie Taylor

BBQs are MURDER POSTER

 Britannia United Church, 985 Pinecrest Road

Friday, May 1st and Saturday May 2nd, 2015

ONLY 100 TICKETS FOR EACH NIGHT $30.00 per person

The Play and Meal start at 6:00 p.m.

 Featuring: Rev. Jim Baldwin, Rev. Debbie Roi, Dori Jensen, Scott Hughes,

Jennifer Trewartha, Chuck Trewartha, Elaine McClausland, Myles Frosst

 Menu: Apple or Tomato Juice, Caesar or Garden Salad, Pork Loin or Chicken Breast (both in gluten free gravy), Potatoes, Vegetables, Dessert, Tea and Coffee

The tables are made up of groups of eight or nine people, so get a party together and purchase your tickets early.

 You can obtain your tickets from:       Church Office (613-828-6018)

                                                                        Email: brituc.office@magma.ca

                                                                        Verne or Marilyn Bruce (613-828-0704)

                                                                        Email: verne.bruce@sympatico.ca  or

                                                                        Visit our website: www.britanniaunitedchurch.ca

                                                                        The cut-off date is April 27,2015

 Additional Performance: Parkdale United Church on April 26, 2015

429 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa  (613-728-8656)

A Criminally Exciting Evening!

 You’re invited to a criminally exciting evening on Thurs. April 23, 7-9 p.m. at Chapters Rideau, starting with Interrogating the Authors — top crime writers Brenda Chapman, Barbara Fradkin, Eva Gates/Vicki Delany, R.J. Robin Harlick,  MaryJane MaffiniVictoria Abbott, and Mike Martin put each other on the hot seat. MC is Erika Chase/Linda Sundman Wiken. Followed by the big reveal of the Crime Writers of Crime Writers Canada Arthur Ellis shortlist, and the Capital Crime Writers’ Audrey Award shortlist.

Canada’s Security and Intelligence Community: Responding to Terrorist Threats

Topic: Canada’s Security and Intelligence Community: Responding to Terrorist Threats
Speaker: Dr. Martin Rudner

When: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 7:00 pm
Location: Honeywell Room, Ottawa City Hall

Learn about Canada's Security and Intelligence Community and threat response on May 13, 2015 at city hall.
Learn about terrorist threats facing Canada at the next CCW meeting (May 13, 2015 at 7 p.m. at city hall.

The focus of this month’s presentation is the contemporary terrorist threat environment facing Canada, including religious extremism, violent secessionist movements, state-sponsored terrorism and domestic extremism. Dr. Martin Rudner, professor emeritus at Carleton University will examine Canada’s national security strategy, outlining the statutory framework, the architecture of the Security and Intelligence system, policy mechanisms, and operational activities. These will cover intelligence collection, analysis, policy coordination, law enforcement, threat disruption, and international liaison. Attention will be paid to accountability and oversight mechanisms. The talk will conclude with a review of lessons that need to be learned.

Martin Rudner is Professor Emeritus and a distinguished professor at Carleton University in Ottawa. Before his retirement from Carleton in 2007, he was a professor in the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and a founding director of the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Affairs. His article “Intelligence-Led Air Transport Security: Pre-Screening for Watch-Lists, No-Fly Lists to Forestall Terrorists Threats” was recently published in the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence. Dr. Rudner is the author of over one hundred books and scholarly articles. He is also an associate editor of Frontline Security. While supposedly retired, he attends and organizes conferences and seminars and is frequently consulted for his ideas and opinions on security and intelligence issues. Dr. Rudner has also served as an expert witness at the behest of the Crown in national security cases before the Federal Court.

CCW April 2015 Meeting: Elections & PIZZA!

Got a taste for blood (and pizza)? Feeling bloody-minded? Then why not join us!

Our next meeting is on Wednesday April 8, 2015 in the Honeywell Room at Ottawa City Hall.  It begins at 6:45.  Pizza will be served.  The 2015-2016 election for the CCW Executive will then take place.  PLEASE COME TO THIS MEETING IF YOU ARE FREE.  If you are interested in putting your name forward for any of the executive positions, please email Michael Murphy president@capitalcrimewriters.com.   The CCW executive needs new blood.  We welcome fresh blood to the executive.

Our yearly book exchange also takes place.  Bring a couple of mysteries you have read to the meeting, leave them on the table and go home with something new to read.

Time permitting, we will have a round the table discussion of what we are currently reading.  Go home with suggestions from CCW members of what to read next, from Ottawa’s most discerning mystery readers

IF YOU ARE COMING TO THIS MEETING, PLEASE REPLY TO Michael Murphy
president@capitalcrimewriters.com  so he knows how much pizza to bring.

FINAL REMINDER: Entries for the “Audrey” short story contest close on April 1st. No fooling.

Brenda Chapman interview and gift-card contest

Bitten by Books is running a live, world-wide Q and A chat with Brenda Chapman on Tuesday, March 17 beginning at noon Mountain time. Pre-register and get points for draws – a $25 Amazon gift card or copies of Butterfly Kills. On the day, you just need to check in, and take part if only for a question or comment or two, from anywhere in the world.

http://bittenbybooks.com/author-brenda-chapman-interview-and-amazon-gift-card-contest-317-rsvp-here/

CCW MONTHLY MEETING, March 11, 2015

CCW MONTHLY MEETING

March 11, 2015, Honeywell Room,  (2nd floor) Ottawa City Hall, 7 pm

Jon Willing & Tony Spears, both of the OTTAWA SUN.
TOPIC:  Police beat & Court Reporting

Jon will speak about police reporting & Tony will speak about court reporting

Jon Willing spoke briefly at ‘Capital Mayhem’ (organized by CCW & OPL) last year.  That limited his time  to provide  insights into courtroom procedures and action.  He is currently  the City Hall reporter for the OTTAWA SUN, but before that was their police beat reporter.  Jon did his undergraduate work at the University of Waterloo then obtained his Masters in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario in 2003.  Before coming to Ottawa in 2006, he worked at the WOODSTOCK SENTINEL-REVIEW and the GUELPH MERCURY.

Tony Spears is the OTTAWA SUN  courts reporter, providing vivid sketches of fraudsters and murders to the delight of a tabloid readership.  He’s covered three federal budgets, which caused him to consider taking up murder himself.  He has also worked as a general assignment  reporter for the OTTAWA SUN & OTTAWA CITIZEN

February 11th, 2014 WORKSHOP

GOAL! MOTIVATION AND CONFLICT: THE FOUNDATION OF COMMERCIAL FICTION

Next meeting, February 11th, 2014, Ottawa City Hall, Honeywell Room.

Madeline McBride will present this workshop.  Writers , are your characters’ goals and conflict strong enough to carry the story?  This interactive craft workshop will help you describe what your characters want, the stakes, and what’s stopping them from reaching their goals.
In an exercise using a simple template, you’ll identify your hero/heroine’s internal and external goals, motivations, consequences/stakes and conflict (GMCC).  Those willing to share will have the opportunity to  get feedback on their work-in-progress GMCC’s.  The resulting comprehensive  GMCC  sentences, one for each character can be key elements of pitches
This workshop is based on Debra Dixon’s GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict, arguably an essential craft resource for writers of commercial fiction genres such as mysteries, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy, romance etc.
Madeline McBride (Presenter) is currently President of Ottawa Romance Writers Association, writes as Madelle Morgan.  She’s completed six books, although three were for practice as she honed her craft!  She won or placed  in several writing contests.

Brenda Chapman launches Butterfly Kills

Plan to help Brenda Chapman celebrate the launch of Butterfly Kills on Sunday, February 8th from 2-4 pm at Whispers pub in Westboro. This is the 2nd in the Stonechild and Rouleau police procedural series – Books on Beechwood will be on hand to sell copies. All are welcome.

Adrienne Stevenson's photo.
Butterfly Kills
A Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery
By Brenda Chapman
Jacques Rouleau has moved to Kingston to look after his father and take up the position of head of the town’s Criminal Investigations Division. One hot week in late September, university student Leah Sampson is murdered in her apartment.
In another corner of the city, Della Munroe is raped by her husband. At first the crimes appear unrelated, but as Sergeant Rouleau and his new team of officers dig into the women’s pasts, they discover unsettling coincidences. When Kala Stonechild, one of Rouleau’s former officers from Ottawa, suddenly appears in Kingston, Rouleau enlists her to help.

Stonechild isn’t sure if she wants to stay in Kingston, but agrees to help Rouleau in the short-term. While she struggles with trying to decide if she can make a life in this new town, a ghost from her past starts to haunt her.

As the detectives delve deeper into the cases, it seems more questions pop up than answers. Who murdered Leah Sampson? And why does Della Monroe’s name keep showing up in the murder investigation? Both women were hiding secrets that have unleashed a string of violence. Stonechild and Rouleau race to discover the truth before the violence rips more families apart.