speakers bureau

The Speakers Bureau provides New England mystery writers to booksellers and libraries planning special events. We have programs about agents and publishing, promotion and other mysteries of publication, and the techniques authors use to write their stories.  We're glad to provide speakers on your topic as well. See list of topics below. Individual speakers, pairs of speakers, or panels are available.

You can also download our Speakers Bureau brochure.

There are no fees, but if your library or organization normally offers honoraria, our writers appreciate them. Whenever possible we ask for $50.00 per author, and many organizations are able to offer more, which we appreciate.

We also appreciate the opportunity to sign books, provided either by the speakers or by a local bookstore or library Friends organization.

Be sure to check out the schedule of upcoming Speakers Bureau events below, and support our Sisters and Brothers in Crime.

And check out some of the great places our Speakers Bureau authors have visited
on our Where We've Been Page.

 

For information on speakers, contact:

Leslie Wheeler
SpeakersBureau@sincne.org
Or call: 617-576-0828		 Click here for
Planning for a Successful Library Event
(Tips for Librarians)

- a helpful and informative article by Kate Flora.
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UPCOMING SPEAKERS BUREAU EVENTS

2010 EVENTS

August 3, (Tuesday), 6:30 PM
Location:
Wells Public Library
1434 Post Road
Wells, ME
207.646.8181
"Good Guys and Bad Guys: Real and Imagined" panel featuring:
Kate Flora, Jayne Hitchcock, and Barbara Ross .

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August 5, (Thursday), 11 AM to 12 PM
Location:
Plaistow, NH, Public Library
85 Main Street
Plaistow, NH
603.382.6011
The Crime and Culinary Society mystery book club speaker:
Cindy Davis.

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August 26, (Thursday), 7:00 PM
Location:
Friend Memorial Library
1 Reach Road
Brooklin, ME
207.359.2276
"How to Create Characters" panel featuring:
Janet Morgan, Katherine Hall Page, Barbara Ross, and Valerie Wolzien


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September 21, (Tuesday), 7:00 PM
Location:
Curis Memorial Library
23 Pleasant Street
Brunswick, ME
207.725.5242
Fall Author Series featuring:
Leslie Wheeler.

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September 21, (Tuesday), 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Location:
Jones Library
43 Amity Street
Amherst, MA
413.259.3090
“My favorite research stories” panel featuring:
Jim Ciullo, Kate Flora and Susan Oleksiw

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September 28, (Tuesday), 7:00 PM
Location:
Curis Memorial Library
23 Pleasant Street
Brunswick, ME
207.725.5242
Fall Author Series featuring:
Leslie Meier.

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October 5, (Tuesday) at 7 PM
Location:
Waldoboro Public Library
958 Main Street
Waldoboro, ME
207.832.4484
“Maine as an Inspiration for Mystery Writers” panel featuring:
J.S. Borthwick (aka Jean Scott Creighton), Leslie Meier and Janet Morgan.

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October 5, (Tuesday), 7:00 PM
Location:
Curis Memorial Library
23 Pleasant Street
Brunswick, ME
207.725.5242
Fall Author Series featuring: Barbara Ross


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October 6, (Wednesday) at 7 PM
Location:
McArthur Public Library
270 Main Street
Biddeford, Maine
207.284.4181
“Death and Desserts” panel featuring:
Leslie Meier, Susan Oleksiw and Barbara Ross.

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October 12, (Tuesday), 7:00 PM
Location:
Curis Memorial Library
23 Pleasant Street
Brunswick, ME
207.725.5242
Fall Author Series featuring: J.S. Borthwick


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November 16, (Tuesday), 7:00 PM
Location:
Thayer Memorial Library
717 Main Street
Lancaster, MA
978.368.8928,
“It’s a Mystery to Me” “Using What You Know to Write a Mystery” panel featuring
Gary Braver, Barbara Ross and Leslie Wheeler


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November 22, (Monday), 7:00 PM
Location:
Bellingham Public Library
100 Blackstone Street
Bellingham, MA
508-966-1660
“Using What You Know to Write a Mystery” panel featuring
Stacy Juba, Barbara Ross and J. E. Seymour


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Here are some of our topics:
  • It's a Mystery to Me: Authors describe the writing process--getting that first idea, creating characters, doing the research, and the daily writing schedule that gets it done.
  • The Modern Heroine: Single mothers, cops, attorneys, journalists--today's heroines balance relationships and careers, leap over sexist obstacles, and rescue themselves from danger.  Women authors are redefining the genre.  Find out how they create strong women characters.
  • Stealing from the Dead: Ideas and Where She Gets Them.   You don't need to be an international spy to write a page-turning thriller.   How to put a new twist on an old plot, search newspapers, visit courtrooms, learn to discover plots right in your own neighborhood.
  • Using What You Know to Write a Mystery: Been a housewife?  A domestic worker?  Single parent?  Lived in a creepy old house?  You think your life's been boring--but exciting plots are buried in your own expertise.   Finding the clues to the novel only you can write.
  • How to Create Characters.  Contrary to popular belief, most mystery writers don't use their family and friends in their books, at least not directly.   Hear how writers find their characters, the good ones and the bad ones, and how writing a fictional character may differ from the real-life bad guys.
  • The Modern Historical: The new historical mystery is set in the twenty-first century; writers are using the techniques of the historical to look at their readers' history, and their own.
  • Publicity Today: Mystery authors today not only have to write a good book, but help it get into the right hands. Learn how to toot your own horn, write your own blog, and plan your own publicity.
  • Death in Shorts: Many mystery novelists also write murderous short stories. Learn how writers plot, construct and populate the mystery short story, from the light-hearted to the noir.
  • We're not Making this Up: Ever wonder what the story behind the story is? Hear from true crime writers, drug agents, cybersleuths and other about what really goes on behind the scenes.
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