May Meeting

We have another interesting speaker lined up for our May 12, 2018 meeting, criminal defense attorney, John Kail. We meet at McCallister's Deli on the corner of Kansas and Battlefield starting at 10:30. Please make plans to join us. Here is the link to our speaker's web site where you can learn more about him.

https://www.johnkail.com/attorney/

JOIN US FOR JANO 2016

JANO 2016

About JANO

During January, 2010, Sleuths’ Ink held it’s first-ever JANO challenge. Modeled after the popular National Novel Writing Month in November, JANO begins in, you guessed it, January.

Participants are challenged to write a 50,000-word novel during January. Join us and kick off the new year with a novel in progress! 

Two good reasons we picked January: 

1) You get an extra day to write. To complete 50,000 words during January, you only need to write 1,613 words a day.

2) The holidays are over. Winter has set in. What better way to spend a long, dreary month than writing a novel?

Over the past few years, participants from across the nation entered our challenge. Many of them reached their 50,000 goal, with a few actually receiving a contract for their completed JANO project.

JOIN US FOR JANO 2016!

Sleuths' Ink will hold its Seventh Annual JANO beginning January 1, 2016. Please join us and kick off the new year by writing a new novel or adding new words to a work in progress. 

Rules: There may be no actual writing on your JANO novel until January 1, but you may plot your novel and create character sketches before January 1, 2016. On that date, write like mad (no editing) the entire month in order to reach the 50,000-word goal.  

To celebrate JANO members’ successes, Sleuths’ Ink will sponsor a party February 5, 2016. Details are forthcoming. As always, during the party, prizes will be awarded to our JANO 2016 participants.  See categories below.  In addition, we're giving away a $100 grand prize to one lucky JANO participant at our annual December holiday party.  The winner of this grand prize must be a Sleuths’ Ink member in good standing as of February 1, 2016 and must have written a minimum of 25,000 words in 2016.

PRIZE CATEGORIES FOR JANO:

1. First to 50,000 words in January
2. Second to 50,000 words in January
3. Third to 50,000 words in January
4. Best Title
5. Best First Paragraph 
6. Most Unique Character Name
7. Best Blurb – 100 words or less　　

KEEP IN MIND: a Blurb is often used in your query letter to sell your story to an editor or what is found on the back of the book to grab your potential reader’s attention.

　Participant MUST have written at least 10,000 words to be eligible for prizes

• Must be on the janowriters yahoo email loop. (see below)
• No acceptances after MIDNIGHT January 31, 2016 deadline. NO exceptions!!!

Attendees of the Wrap-Up Party judge the last four categories on February 5th, 2016 and prizes will be awarded accordingly. You do not have to be in attendance to win, but we encourage everyone within driving distance to come join the FUN!

JANO is sponsored by Sleuths’ Ink, a mystery and suspense writers’ non-profit organization in Springfield, Missouri. JANO 2016 Chairperson: Wanda Fittro

SIGN UP AT:   jano2016-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

MEMBER INTERVIEW

Please welcome Sleuths' member Shirley McCann. Not only is she a successful mystery writer, she is also one of the founding members of our group. Shirley has several books published and is a regular contributor to Woman's World Magazine's popular feature "solve it yourself" mysteries.

Be sure and follow her links at the end of this interview.

Where do you like to write - home or away?

Either is fine, but I prefer to write around 5 AM in the morning IF I can make myself get up. It's quiet in the house and outside at that time. And I love to watch the sun come up. As long as I have a never-ending supply of Earl Grey Tea, I’m good to go that early.

Wow, I can never get up that early.

Do you listen to music when you write?

Not always. Sometimes I just like listening to the noise around me. That’s assuming I’ve made it up early, of course. Otherwise, yes to the music. I have a Thunderstorm CD that I love.

Thunderstorm CD sounds intriguing - especially when writing mysteries.

What draws you to mystery writing? 

Solving the puzzle. I think that’s the case with a lot of mystery readers and writers. I like to try and find the clues (or plant them) and see if the reader can find them and solve the puzzle.

I must say, you are good at hiding those clues.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Reading. A LOT.  And for the record, I always write reviews unless the book is so bad I won’t even finish it.  Crocheting is also a favorite pastime. There’s gotta be something else, but nothing comes to mind at the moment. 

It's so important as writers to read a lot. 

Favorite food? 

My mom’s enchiladas. She’s from Texas so that was always a favorite of ours growing up. And still today. Of course, chocolate is always on the list.

Oooh, I love enchiladas, especially if the person making them is from the southwest.

Thanks Shirley for sharing a bit of your life with us today!

LINKS

The Scarry Inn

http://tinyurl.com/mau6stp

Anonymously Yours

http://tinyurl.com/njzjd58

MEMBER INTERVIEW

Murder wasn't on the itinerary when Lacey James and her friend, Stella, traveled to Ireland to help a friend. Expecting the sights and sounds of Ireland to soothe her spirit and provide background for her next mystery, Lacey became the prime suspect in an extremist plot. From the Book of Kells to St. Kevin's Monastery, Lacey is stalked by people demanding something that she does not have. Among ancient castles and legends in the Emerald Isle, Homeland security agent, Mitch Logan shadows her every move. He knows too much about her. Can she trust him? And who is Irene Bouchard, the redheaded bombshell that turns up every time Lacey is in trouble?

Please welcome fellow Sleuths' member, current Secretary and News Letter Editor -  Pat Elliott.
  

Who doesn't love a mystery set in Ireland? And the cover is so intriguing!

Here is a short interview with this talented writer, Be sure and follow the link at the end to her Amazon page. 

We just talked about writing habits on the blog. What are some of yours?

Living alone allows me to write anytime or all the time. But I procrastinate.  I need to do this – I need to do that. Anyone else a procrastinator?

      I raise my hand and look around for others. 

At what age did you first start getting serious about your writing?

I was published in the high school newspaper and I was hooked.
     

Where do you get inspiration for your stories? 

From travels and pictures, I imagine settings.  People I know or have met give me gist for my characters. Mix up their characteristics and viola I have a character that is good or bad or have flaws. Sometimes those people are only sitting at the next table in a restaurant or in church and I don’t know them at all.

Which do you enjoy more - writing the first draft or editing the final version? 

The first draft.  I hate editing.
      

What is your favorite color and does it ever play a part in your stories? 

My favorite color changes with my moods. I’m not aware of using color in my stories. Maybe I should start using color.

Thanks for taking the time to give us some insight to your writing process.

Pat's book Murder on Tour is available at Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Tour-Lacey-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/1505904951/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441637369&sr=1-6&keywords=pat+elliott

JANO 2016

About JANO

During January, 2010, Sleuths’ Ink held it’s first-ever JANO challenge. Modeled after the popular National Novel Writing Month in November, JANO begins in, you guessed it, January.

Participants are challenged to write a 50,000-word novel during January. Join us and kick off the new year with a novel in progress! 

Two good reasons we picked January: 

1) You get an extra day to write. To complete 50,000 words during January, you only need to write 1,613 words a day.

2) The holidays are over. Winter has set in. What better way to spend a long, dreary month than writing a novel?

Over the past few years, participants from across the nation entered our challenge. Many of them reached their 50,000 goal, with a few actually receiving a contract for their completed JANO project.

JOIN US FOR JANO 2016!

Sleuths' Ink will hold its Seventh Annual JANO beginning January 1, 2016. Please join us and kick off the new year by writing a new novel or adding new words to a work in progress. 

Rules: There may be no actual writing on your JANO novel until January 1, but you may plot your novel and create character sketches before January 1, 2016. On that date, write like mad (no editing) the entire month in order to reach the 50,000-word goal.  

To celebrate JANO members’ successes, Sleuths’ Ink will sponsor a party February 5, 2016. Details are forthcoming. As always, during the party, prizes will be awarded to our JANO 2016 participants.  See categories below.  In addition, we're giving away a $100 grand prize to one lucky JANO participant at our annual December holiday party.  The winner of this grand prize must be a Sleuths’ Ink member in good standing as of February 1, 2016 and must have written a minimum of 25,000 words in 2016.

PRIZE CATEGORIES FOR JANO:

1. First to 50,000 words in January
2. Second to 50,000 words in January
3. Third to 50,000 words in January
4. Best Title
5. Best First Paragraph 
6. Most Unique Character Name
7. Best Blurb – 100 words or less　　

KEEP IN MIND: a Blurb is often used in your query letter to sell your story to an editor or what is found on the back of the book to grab your potential reader’s attention.

　Participant MUST have written at least 10,000 words to be eligible for prizes

• Must be on the janowriters yahoo email loop. (see below)
• No acceptances after MIDNIGHT January 31, 2016 deadline. NO exceptions!!!

Attendees of the Wrap-Up Party judge the last four categories on February 5th, 2016 and prizes will be awarded accordingly. You do not have to be in attendance to win, but we encourage everyone within driving distance to come join the FUN!

JANO is sponsored by Sleuths’ Ink, a mystery and suspense writers’ non-profit organization in Springfield, Missouri. JANO 2016 Chairperson: Wanda Fittro

SIGN UP AT:   jano2016-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Meet Our President

http://morguefile.com/

This is the first interview with one of our members. There will be many more to follow. So grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy getting to know Susan Keene. She is a very talented story teller, published author, and currently serves as president of our group.

First tell us a little about yourself. 

My education is in the medical field. I went to school at Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis to be an X-Ray technician. The only reason I chose that field was because my dad didn't think girls should go to college and I was able to get a full paid scholarship.

I didn't like the work and after several years I went into sales for Sears Contract Sales and did some of their sales training.

I live in the country with lots of animals including sheep, horses, cows, mules, donkeys, cats and dogs. We have over three hundred fruit trees.

Sometimes, when I make the thirty-five mile drive to Springfield, I think it would be nice to live closer. When I come home to the quiet and beauty of it all, I change my mind.

What draws you to mystery/crime writing?

The world intrigues me, everything is a mystery. I think that is why I like to write them. My goal is to keep you guessing and hope you won't figure out who did it. I want each book to be a surprise. Nothing brings a smile to my face faster than the words, "Wow, I didn't expect that."

If you could have lunch with any author dead or alive, who would it be?

It would be fun to share a pint with Hemingway, but my favorite contemporary author is Harlen Cobin

Favorite food?

Boy, I love to eat so that is a tough one. It would be a toss-up between crab and pasta with white sauce.

What does your writing schedule look like?

I get up, grab a cup of coffee and go straight into my office. I write until my  particular train of thought is done and then go on with my day. Occasionally I write at the end of the day, but I am not as productive.

I am and have always been a creature of habit. Mess up my routine and it messes up my day.

You are the current president for Sleuths' Ink. What do you find enjoyable about the job and what bothers you? 

It is always fun to be the leader. I spend a lot of time thinking about the plot of the story I am writing. Presiding over the meetings keeps my mind in the present. The women and men who belong to Sleuths' are so talented, I am in awe to be around them.

I guess the downside is the preparation outside the meetings, like reserving the meeting room. I really do need a secretary.

Thanks Susan for sharing.

Please check out her links below.

http://amzn.to/1JURH0C   Link to Diggitty the Dog Saves Christmas

https://tinyurl.com//lxc5ngl    Link to Diggitty the Dog Finds A Friend

 http://amzn.to/1b3BuDL      Link to The Adventures of Diggitty the Dog

http://amzn.to/19IVg9H     Link to Tattered Wings

MORE CONSISTENCY PLEASE

http://www.morguefile.com

It was recently brought to our attention that our web site is sorely lacking in updated content. Unfortunately, this is quite true. Here is a brief explanation.

We are a group of writers who enjoy getting together once a month to support each other and learn something new from guest speakers. We run a yearly challenge called JANO - more on that later - and a mystery writing contest in the Spring. Usually the people in charge of those events post the info on here once and then forget it. Since none of us are getting paid and participation is voluntary, sometimes things slip through the cracks. Understandable right?

Well, that's changing. I foolishly volunteered to keep this blog up to date. I really need to learn to keep my hand down at meetings. ;-)   My plan is to post at least once a week. There will be author interviews, notice about upcoming events and speakers and interesting tidbits about writing. Our hope is this will be a place people will want to visit.

If you'd like notification of new posts, please sign up with your e-mail to the right.

And to the person that brought this to our attention, thank you.

Guest Blogger, Shirley McCann

Anonymously Yours has gone through several rewrites over the years. What started out as a YA novel finally evolved into more of a cozy mystery for readers of all ages. Truth be known, it was actually the first book I ever wrote. I’d put it aside for many years, thinking it was time to move on and forget about it, but something wouldn’t let me do that. Every once in a while, I’d pull it back out and work on it a bit.

Then when I pitched the book to an Avalon editor who seemed very interested in it, my hopes of publishing it escalated. I sent in the first three chapters, and was soon asked for a full. But as most of us know, Avalon is no more, and the book didn’t make it to publication.

It was during a Savvy Authors pitch that I once again attracted the interest of two editors. I won’t mention the second one, but I’m so happy to be associated with The Wild Rose Press. I loved the experience of going through several editing phases to make the book as perfect as could be.  I’m enclosing an excerpt below. Please enjoy.

EXCERPT:  The blood drained from my face. My body numbed from the shock of Justin’s words. There had to be some mistake! How could the police have found nothing at Michael Black’s house this morning? I was there! I had witnessed a woman’s lifeless body slide onto the living room floor in a crumpled heap.

It didn’t make sense.

Despite the warmth of the day, a shiver shook my body. If Michael Black’s wife had died ten years earlier, then who did I see at that house?

Something was terribly wrong. But what could I do? How could I explain a missing corpse?

 

Here's the link if you'd like to purchase a copy.  Reviews are always welcome. 

 

 

Anonymously Yours

http://tinyurl.com/mg5t9te

 

Got Time? 13 Solve It Yourself Mysteries

http://tinyurl.com/np9hdjm

 A Collection - 13 Short Mysteries

http://tinyurl.com/okpavqk

 The Necklace - A Middle Grade Mystery

http://tinyurl.com/nk97u8v

 Facebook Page

http://tinyurl.com/lkhoyjm

Twitter

https://twitter.com/shirleymccann

 

 

WHODUNNIT? A Mystery Contest Sponsored by Sleuths' Ink

WHODUNNIT?

A MYSTERY CONTEST

sponsored by

SLEUTHS' INK MYSTERY WRITERS

Springfield, MO

 

Join the ranks of mystery writers and try your hand at writing a mini-mystery. If you've never written this genre, we suggest you read Woman’s World magazine, which publishes a new mystery weekly. The mysteries are located near the back, are always 700 words, and a solution is provided.

These mysteries are fun and interactive. And who doesn’t like to solve a whodunnit? Put on a Columbo trench coat and try your hand at this genre.

 

Guidelines and Word Count:

Simply write a short "solve-it-yourself" mystery of 700 words. That count must include the narrative and the solution. Stories should be fun and entertaining with an ending that challenges to the reader to figure out whodunnit or howdunnit. 

Submission information:  

Send your entry to Sleuthsink95@gmail.com. Write "Contest Submission" in the subject line.

 

Payment information:

Include a $5 entry fee per entry. (You may enter as many times as you want, but you’ll need to mail $5 for each entry.)

You’ll need to mail your entry fee to

Shirley McCann

4750 S. Ridgecrest Drive

Springfield, MO 65810

 

You will receive a confirmation once we’ve received your entry and your fee.

 

 

Prizes:

$65  First prize

$25  Second prize

$10  Third prize

 

Additionally, all entries will receive feedback by at least two published WW authors! What have you got to lose?

 

Deadline: May 31, 2013

(winners will be announced in early July)

 

Note: This is a contest sponsored by Sleuths' Ink Mystery Writers, and has no affiliation with Woman’s World Magazine. We do, however, encourage you to submit your finished story to WW. Remember, you are eligible to win cash prizes, plus your stories will be judged and critiqued by at least two published Woman’s World authors.

 

Questions? Email us at Sleuthsink95@gmail.com and good luck!