CRIME FOR CHRISTMAS

Is it too early to talk about Christmas? I’ve been seeing a lot of yellow in the trees lately…

My short story, “Santa Lucia,” is releasing in September as part of ReBound Press’s Crime for Christmas anthology, along with 11 other stories by Canadian authors. Mine is set in the Yukon (a favourite setting) and has suspense, humour, and, dare I say it, a hint of romance. And my good friend, Charlotte Morganti, has a fabulous story (“Iced”) in the anthology, too! Here’s the publisher’s write-up:

Whether you enjoy cozies, noirs, police procedurals, whodunnits, or lighthearted mysteries, there’s something for everyone in this terrific Christmas-themed collection by twelve of Canada’s finest mystery authors! An OPP officer investigates a John Doe dressed like Santa in July. A Toronto woman traces a mall Santa to the Caribbean. A woman’s body is found in an isolated part of Cape Breton. A graduate student helps CSIS trace the source of a death caused by listeria. An aging singer discovers the mall Santa is a former bandmate. An RCMP officer tracks an escaped prisoner through a Yukon blizzard. A retiring Alberta sheriff investigates a movie star’s murder. A controversial ice sculptor is stabbed with an ice pick. A Winnipeg private eye uncovers a clinic performing illegal surgeries. A teenager is suspected of stealing a neighbour’s gold jewellery. A young Chinese boy plots revenge against a bully with ChatGPT’s help. A pair of down-on-their-luck young lovers pull off a series of bank robberies.

These well-crafted stories ramp up the tension with resourceful investigators, colourful characters and riveting plotlines, and relieve it with humour. This wonderful seasonal anthology features stories by Peggy Blair, E.R. Brown, Renny deGroot, M.M. DeLuca, Raywat Deonandan, Marcelle Dubé, Chris Forrest, Peter Moreira, Charlotte Morganti, Joel Nedecky, Wayne Ng, and Brad Smith.

I’ve thought about it, and it’s definitely not too early to start shopping for Christmas! Visit ReBound Press at https://reboundpress.com/ to pre-order.

CWC Award of Excellence Finalist

I’m thrilled that my short story, “Chuck Berry Is Missing,” part of my Estelle Martin series, is a finalist for a Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, in the novella category. It was published in the July/August 2024 issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. I am in excellent company in my category:

Best Crime Novella
Marcelle Dubé, Chuck Berry is Missing, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
Liz Ireland, Mrs. Claus and the Candy Corn Caper, Kensington
Pamela Jones, The Windmill Mystery, Austin Macauley Publishers
A.J. McCarthy, A Rock, Black Rose Writing
Twist Phelan, Aim, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

I’ve won the CWC Award of Excellence twice, in 2021 and 2024, for my short stories, “Cold Wave” and “Reversion.”

To see the rest of the shortlists in all categories, here is the CWC news release.

Chuck Berry Is Missing

The July/August 2024 issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine is out. It includes my short story, “Chuck Berry Is Missing,” featuring retired RCMP superintendent Stella Martin. I am showing an amazing amount of self-control here, folks. What I really want to do is shout it from the roof tops!

This is my third appearance in AHMM and I couldn’t be more pleased. The other stories in this issue are by: Vicki Weisfeld, Ken Linn, Janice Law, Joslyn Chase, Steven Sheil, Craig Faustus Buck, Tom Larsen, John H. Dirckx, Irette Y. Patterson, and John M. Floyd.


Two new interviews and a blog post

It’s been a busy week! The lovely Erik D’Souza interviewed me for Crime Writers of Canada about being a finalist for this year’s Excellence Awards. Here’s the link to the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/pnOhvyu7YRc. While you’re there, take a look around. Erik has interviewed many, if not most, of the finalists.

My local newspaper, High River Times, also interviewed me about the Excellence Awards. Dan Marcinkowski dropped into Margins Bookstore in High River, where my sister authors, Lorrie Morales and Linda Rakos, and I did a book signing. https://www.highrivertimes.com/news/local-news/high-river-author-nominated-for-award

The winners of the CWC Excellence Awards will be announced on May 29.

And finally, I was featured on Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine blog, Trace Evidence, as my short story, “Chuck Berry is Missing,” will appear in the next issue. I write about the importance of interesting characters in keeping readers’ interest.