top of page
Past Events:
*On February 15, 2020, the meeting featured Savannah J. Frierson, Harvard graduate, USA Today best selling romance author, and expert professional editor. Savannah spoke about the parallels in crafting romance and mysteries as well as about her own journey to publication. Savannah's website is here: http://www.sjfbooks.com/about/
***
*On January 18, 2020, the meeting featured Lori Rader-Day, the Edgar Award-nominated and Anthony Award and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of The Lucky One, Under a Dark Sky, The Day I Died, Little Pretty Things, and The Black Hour. Lori’s short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Time Out Chicago, Good Housekeeping, and others. Co-chair of the mystery reader conference Murder and Mayhem in Chicago and serving as the national president of Sisters in Crime, Lori updated the group on news from national and from her own work.
***
*Our November 16, 2019, speakers were Lowcountry Romance Writers: Jen Davis, Robin Hillyer-Miles, and Paula Benson, our Palmetto Chapter SinC President. They talked about Love in the Lowcountry, an anthology their chapter of RWA had just released. Jen Davis writes dark, mature romance and is the author of three novels, Brick, Kane, and Robby. Robin's debut story, "West End Club," appears in the anthology. Paula’s story in the anthology is a time travel romance.
***
*On October 19, Warren Moore, a Professor of English at Newberry College in Newberry, SC, spoke to chapter members about Noir, which is crime fiction featuring hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings. Warren's fiction has appeared in a number of small and online magazines, as well as a couple of anthologies edited by Lawrence Block. His story “Bowery Station, 3:15 A.M.” was named a distinguished story in The Best American Mystery Stories 2016.
***
*September 28, 2019, featured Robert McCready, who spoke on the process of moving characters from scene to scene. Robert gave examples from accessible, published works showing what a character wants, how the character makes a decision to get it, and then how the character takes action to go for the goal.
***
*August 17, 2019, featured Arnold N. Bremen, a retired theatrical impresario who has managed entertainment venues in New York, Chicago, and Florida, and has written two nonfiction books about his experiences.
***
*July 20, 2019, featured Judge Phil Lenski, of the South Carolina Administrative Law Court. Previously, Judge Lenski served as an Army prosecutor, attorney for occupational boards at the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, and attorney for the Senate. He talked about his work and answered questions about legal process.
***
*Saturday, June 22, was the Second Annual Mystery in the Midlands featuring guest of honor, Nancy Pickard. The day was fantastic and the chapter looks forward to doing it again in 2020.
***
*The May meeting of Palmetto Chapter featured chapter member Raegan Teller, whose presentation shared lessons learned, mistakes made, and of course, wins! during this on-going journey.
***
*Our April Meeting (April 6, 2019) featured Dr. Bill Stevens, Richland County forensic anthropologist.
***
*Our March Meeting was at the Deckle Edge Literary Festival (http://www.deckleedgesc.org/).
On March 23, 2019, at 11:00 am, at Richland County Main Library on Assembly Street, a panel discussed the Detective in the South, and featured David Burnsworth, Sasscer Hill, Raegan Teller, Maggie Toussaint, and Paula Benson as moderator.
***
On February 16, 2019, James M. Jackson, the author of the Seamus McCree mysteries spoke about putting together an anthology
***
*Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, featured Dorothy McFalls, author of over 15 Amazon bestsellers.
***
*On July 28, 2018, We partnered with the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America to hold our first all-day mystery conference right here in Columbia. Our guest of honor was the talented and diverse Elaine Viets.
***
*On May 19, 2018 we got inside information from a fingerprints expert!
***
On July 29, 2017, the meeting gave place to an all-day workshop with Jeffrey Deaver, sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America (https://www.semwa.com/events/semwa-presents-jeffery-deaver/)
***
On April 15, 2017, Dr. Eric Robinson, Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina, spoke on legal issues important to authors: Defamation, Privacy and Book Contracts
***
*March 18, 2017, 12:00 Grecian Gardens, James D. "Don" McCallister, teacher and author, talked about writing discipline and perseverance
***
*February 18, 2017- 1:30- Skyping with the President! Our fabulous SinC President, Diane Vallere, provided our program and spoke on cozy mysteries, and Sisters in Crime
***
On January 21, 2017, Robert Dugoni visited the chapter, and was interviewed by Cathy Pickens
2016
December 17, 2016 was the Chapter's Holiday Meeting
***
On November 19, 2016, Carla Damon (author of the Caleb Knowles' series and The Stone Necklace), spoke about the process of lauching the audiobook of The Stone Necklace (selected as the novel for the Midlands' 2016 One Book One Community reading program)
***
On October 22, 2016, Fran Rizer (author of the Callie Parrish series) and Richard D. Laudenslager (co-author of Southern Swamps and Ruins) spoke on the importance of crime in paranormal writing throughout history and in the current literary market
***
September 10, 2016 was a Special Workshop featuring Polly Iyer (author of Hooked, and others) and Cindy Blackburn (author of the Cue Ball mysteries and others)
***
On August 13, 2016, Lt. Curtis Wilson, Richland County Sheriff's Department, spoke about police procedure an community policing
***
On July 16, 2016, Amy Carol Reeves (author of the Ripper series) spoke about writing mysteries and doing research
***
On June 25, 2016, Allen Johnson spoke on screenwriting techniques and how they can help writers create better fiction
***
On May 21, 2016, Lt. D. J. Barton Jr. spoke on life experiences as a criminal profiler for SLED
***
On April 16, 2016, John Thompson, author of The Girl from Felony Bay, spoke about his writing journey and about writig children's mysteries
***
On March 19, 2016, James (Jim) M. Jackson, author of Ant Farm, presented the advantages and disadvantages of Amazon's Kindle Scout program
***
On February 13, 2016, Faith Hunter (writes also as Gwen Hunter), author of the Skinwalker series among others, spoke about the publishing industry. Her website is http://www.faithhunter.net/wp/
***
On January 19, 2016, Leslie Budewitz, President of National Sisters in Crime, skyped in to speak. Wanda Craig (writing as Raegan Teller), spoke about the techique of Mind Mapping
2015
December 19, 2015 was the Chapter Holiday Party: Holidays are Murder
***
On October 17, 2015, Chapber members shared their experience of BoucherCon
***
On September 19, 2015, Dr. Jamae Campbell shared life experiences and took questions about being a practicing psychiatrist
***
On August 15, 2015, Chapter members shared their experience of Killer Nashville
***
On July 18, 2015, Sasscer Hill spoke on "One Author's Journey to a 2-Book New Yourk Publishing Deal"
http://sasscerhill.blogspot.com/2015/09/one-authors-journey-to-new-york.html
***
On June 20, 2015, Carla Damron, author of the Spider Blue mysteries, and The Stone Necklace, spoke on Manuscript Revision
***
On April 18, 2015, C. Hope Clark & Paula Benson spoke on Dialogue
***
On March 21, 2015, Gary Clark spoke about "A Federal Agent's Perspective"
***
On February 21, 2015, C. Hope Clark spoke about her award-winning site FundsforWriters, and its mission to make writers see all funding options open to them to earning a living as a writer.
For more information: www.fundsforwriters.com & www.chopeclark.com
bottom of page