September Speaker - Award Winning Author Jan Morrill

Jan Morrill’s award-winning short stories and essays have been published in several Chicken Soup for the Soul books and other anthologies. In February, her debut novel, The Red Kimono, was published by The University of Arkansas Press. She enjoys speaking at schools, libraries and conferences, and she is currently working on the sequel to The Red Kimono. For more information, please visit www.janmorrill.com.

Jan has used several methods of developing characters in her stories, including interviewing and letter writing. Join her on Saturday, September 14 for her workshop, "Who Is Your Character, Anyway?"

 

August Speaker/Toni Somers

Toni Somers is a retired photographer, guitar teacher, and Adult Education teacher.  Her degree was in studio art and she has taught drawing in Port Aransas, TX and in Springfield, Missouri.  Somers began writing in 1995 and has been published in two Chicken Soup for the Soul books, Today’s Woman Magazine, Grist magazine and in the recently published Life Lessons From Teachers.  In January one of her flash fiction pieces will appear in The Binnacle published by the University of Maine.  She is the recipient of a number of awards for poetry, short fiction, and memoirs.  During her years in Port Aransas Somers initiated the first Texas Laughing Gull Writing Competition sponsored by the Port Aransas Art Center.  She currently resides in Springfield, Missouri with her husband (John) of 58 years.

Join us on Saturday, August 10th, as Toni talks about Murder Plots in the Bible.

 

WINNERS OF THE WHODUNNIT CONTEST

Congratulations to the winners of Sleuths' Ink's WHODUNNIT CONTEST!

The winners for the WHODUNNIT contest are below:  If you entered, you can expect to receive your judges’ comments by email this weekend as well. Checks will be in the mail by Monday.

 

1st place:  Occupational Hazard by Rekha Ambardar

 

2nd Place:  Night Raider by Rekha Ambardar

 

3rd Place:  Who Killed Seth Watson by Jacqueline Stern

 

Honorable Mention:  Recipe For Murder by Jody Lebel

 

 

Thanks to everyone for their participation in this fun event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUNE SPEAKER

Greg Yen is a native Springfieldian who now lives in the city of Ozark. His interest in the outdoors, hunting, fishing and guns, started when he was a young child. It seems it's always been second nature to him. He's a self taught master marksman and for some time, was a competitive shooter.

Although his main job is being a hairstylist, he is also a NRA Certified Concealed Carry Weapon instructor. He teaches CCW classes regularly, gives personal shooting instruction, makes custom holsters for his own company and runs a fireworks stand in the summer months.

His goal is to teach people, interested in legally owning a firearm and having their CCW, how to be a safe and responsible a gun owner.

 

Join us on Saturday, June 8th to learn more about guns and the Conceal and Carry laws.

 

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!

April Speaker - Ron Yoder of Southwest Missouri Forensics

Wanna know what to look for at a crime scene? Do you know how to determine time of death? Can you define Lividity and Livor Temperature?

If you have questions about Crime Scenes and Au-topsies, you won’t want to miss Saturday’s meet-ing.

Not only is Ron the former Greene County Deputy Medical Examiner, and now owns Southwest Mis-souri Forensics in Nixa, Missouri, but he’s also been an honorary member of Sleuths’ Ink since he first spoke to our group many years ago. You won’t want to miss this infor-mative meeting, as well as Ron’s delightful sense of humor. As our President, Wanda Fittro, has said, Ron makes death "fun".

 

JANO 2013 RESULTS ARE IN!

If you didn't participate in JANO 2013, stay tuned for 2014. Not only will one lucky Sleuths' Ink member win a KINDLE in December of this year, but the following people were also winners of various prizes.  Remember you DO NOT have to be a member of Sleuths' Ink to win any of these other prizes. But we'd love to have you.

 

OUR JANO 2013 WINNERS

 

The top three to 50,000 were :

1st  Sharon Smith,    2nd - Lynn Fredrickson, and    3rd - Cindy Blackburn.

A total of six people completed 50,000 words during JANO 2013.

Best Blurb: Sharon Davis.
Best Title: Susan Keene.
Best first line: Allison Merritt.
Best First page: Allison Merritt.

And a BIG THANK YOU TO Kelly Henkins for chairing

JANO 2013.