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.

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).

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.

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

LATE BLOOMING: Finding Success Later in a Writing Career by Amy Tector—Wednesday September 13th, 2023 at 7 pm (EST).

Amy Tector will discuss her long experience with rejection, finding a publisher without an agent and the power of her critiquing group to keep her going.

Amy Tector is a 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Finalist for her novel, THE FOULEST THINGS, the first in her Dominion Archives Mystery series. Amy’s standalone novel, THE HONEYBEE EMERALDS, is set in Paris and follows the adventures of courtesans, jewellers and spies. When not writing, Amy works at Library and Archives Canada and lives in Ottawa with her husband, daughter and dog.

Finding Your Path to Publication: Judy Penz Sheluk – Wednesday, May 10, 7 pm.

The road to publishing is paved with good intentions…and horror stories of authors who had to learn the hard way. Judy’s new book, Finding Your Path to Publication, explores the ins & outs of five paths to publication:

·         Traditional (Big 5)

·         Independent Publishers (Micro, Small, Medium, Large)

·         Hybrid/Assisted

·         Self-publishing

·         Social publishing (Wattpad, Inkitt, etc.)

Whether you’re an aspiring author, a published author considering alternative options, or merely curious, you’ll learn tips on getting ready, understanding royalties and contracts, advertising & promotion, and more. All attendees will receive a PDF with links to Additional Resources.

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.

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 on the shores of Lake Superior in Northern Ontario. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.