The Official Website of New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime

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.

UPCOMING SPEAKERS BUREAU EVENTS

2010 EVENTS

February 10, (Wednesday), 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Location:
Roslindale Branch Library
Boston Public Library
4238 Washington Street
Roslindale, MA
617.323.2343
"Romance Can Be Murder" with featured speaker:
Hank Phillippi Ryan

February 18, (Thursday), 7:00 PM

Location:
Conway Public Library
15 Main Street
Conway, NH
603.447.5552
Winter Author Series featuring:
Kate Flora

February 21, (Sunday), 3:00 PM

Location:
Natick's Morse Institute Library
14 East Central Street
Natick, MA
508.647.6520
"Writing a Killer Mystery" speaker:
Hallie Ephron

March 2 (Tuesday), 7:00 PM

Location:
Goshen (CT) Public Library
42B North Street
Goshen, CT
860.491.3234
“Using What You Know to Write a Mystery” panel featuring:
Ruth McCarty, Mary-Ann Tirone Smith and Jessica Speart.

March 6, (Saturday), 2:00 PM

Location:
Derry Public Library
63 E. Broadway Street
Derry, NH
603.432.6140.
“It’s A Mystery to Me” panel featuring:
M. E. Kemp, Janet Morgan, and Sarah Smith.

March 18, (Thursday), 7:00 PM

Location:
Conway Public Library
15 Main Street
Conway, NH
603.447.5552
Winter Author Series featuring:
Jayne Hitchcock

March 20, (Saturday), 3:00 PM

Location:
Randolph Public Library
2 North Main Street
Randolph, MA
781.961.0932
“Using What You Know (or What You’d Like to Know) to Write a Mystery” panel featuring:
Sheila Connolly and Stacy Juba.

March 21, (Sunday), 2:00 PM

Location:
Peabody Institute Library
15 Sylvan Street
Danvers, MA
978.774.0554
"We're Not Making This Up" panel featuring:
Jayne Hitchcock, Margaret Press and Mary-Ann Tirone Smith.

March 31, (Wednesday), 7:00 PM

Location:
Chelmsford Public Library
25 Boston Road
Chelmsford, MA
978.256.5521
"How to Write a Killer Mystery" program featuring:
Hallie Ephron

April 7, (Wednesday), 7:00 PM

Location:
Worcester Public Library
3 Salem Square
Worcester, MA
508.799.1655
“Death in Shorts” panel featuring:
Kate Flora, Ruth M. McCarty and Susan Oleksiw.

April 8, (Thursday)

Location:
Peabody Institute Library
15 Sylvan Street
Danvers, MA
978.774.0554
Presentation on the mystery genre by:
Hallie Ephron

April 10, (Saturday) 7:00 PM

Location:
Lincoln, NH, Public Library
22 Church Street
Lincoln NH
603.745.81592
Mystery author panel featuring:
Kate Flora, Janet Morgan and Leslie Wheeler.

April 11, (Sunday), 2:00 PM

Location:
Norton Public Library
68 East Main Street
Norton, MA
508.286.2695
"Using What You Know (or what you'd like to know) to Write a Mystery" panel featuring:
Cindy Davis, Rosemary Harris and Stacy Juba.

April 13, (Tuesday), 7:00 PM

Location:
Belmont Public Library
336 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA
617.489.2000
"Mixing Fact and Fiction in Crime Fiction" panel featuring:
Susan Oleksiw, Sarah Smith and Nancy Means Wright.

June 4, (Friday), 12:00 PM

Location:
Morse Institute
14 East Central Street
Natick, MA
508.647.26956520
“Relationships Can Be Murder” panel featuring:
Sheila Connolly, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Clea Simon,
Nancy Means Wright and Leslie Wheeler (moderator).

June 12, (Saturday), 10 AM to 12 PM

Location:
Barrington, NH Public Library
39 Province Lane
Barrington, NH
603.664.9715
Mystery panel featuring:
Susan Oleksiw and Nancy Means Wright.

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.

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 .

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.