Middle Grade Ninja Episode 140: Speed City Sisters in Crime

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The Speed City Sisters in Crime return to the scene of the… podcast? Returning for their first appearance since episode 79, they’ve just released a new anthology, TRICK OR TREATS: TALES OF ALL HALLOWS EVE. I sit down with authors Ross Carley, Diana Catt, Mary Ann Koontz, Elizabeth Perona, Tony Perona, Karen Phillips, and Elizabeth A. San Miguel, to discuss writing and reading mysteries, publishing tips, flying saucers, and so much more.

Ross Carley - Murder and mayhem by malware . . . Bits and bytes that steal and kill . . . 

Ross Carley’s first four novels feature PI and computer hacker Wolf Ruger, an Iraq vet with PTSD. Dead Drive (2016) and Formula Murder, set in the formula racing industry (2017) are murder myster‐ ies. Cyberthrillers Cyberkill (2018) and Cryptokill (2020), are books one and two of the Cybercode Chronicles. His fifth novel, The Three-Legged Assassin, featuring assassin Lance Garrett, will be released in late 2021. Ross is a computational intelligence and cybersecurity consultant. He and Francie split their time between Indiana and Florida. 

Website: www.RossCarleyBooks.com,
Instagram: @rosscarleyauthor
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/RossCarleyBooks 

Karen Phillips lives in Granite Bay, California, where she enjoys writing mysteries, MG/YA fantasy, and poetry. She has several short stories published in various anthologies and is working on a full- length novel. She is also a published author of non-fiction articles such as “Vetting the Tevis – A brief history of the use of veterinarians for the Western States Trail Ride.” She is a member of both Speed City and Capitol Crimes chapters of Sisters In Crime. 

Mary Ann Koontz - This is the second short story that Mary Ann Koontz has had published in a Speed City Sisters in Crime anthology. Her first was “The 20/20 Club” published in Murder 20/20, A Speed City Crime Writers Anthology. She has also had short stories and articles appear in both newspapers and magazines. Under the name M. A. Koontz, she has authored books including Shards of Trust and its stand-alone sequel, The Cry Beyond the Door. Koontz has also co- authored Maybe, Just Maybe, a children’s chapter book, with her granddaughter, Hailey Landreth. Koontz resides in Indiana. 

Website: www.makoontz.com 

Facebook: @makoontz27/ 

Twitter: @makoontzFW 

Elizabeth A. San Miguel is a new, if not young, writer who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. She graduated a long time ago from Indiana University, Bloomington with degrees in Journalism, History, and Fine Arts and a minor in Art History. She also received a Certificate of Applied Computer Science from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). Her father is a native Spanish speaker but Elizabeth grew up in Indianapolis with a British mother. In Spanish she excels at inquiries on library location. (Not that she could understand the answer.) Otherwise, she spends her days coding in the statistical database language SAS and her evenings and week‐ ends amusing herself by thinking up fun ways to kill people, literarily and not literally. 

Diana Catt (www.dianacatt.com) is an author, editor, and daytime scientist. She has 20 short stories appearing in anthologies published by Blue River Press, Red Coyote Press, Pill Hill Press, Wolfmont Press, The Four Horseman Press, Speed City Press and Level Best Books. Her collection, Below the Line, is available on Amazon. She is co-editor of The Fine Art of Murder (2016, Blue River Press) and Homi‐ cide for the Holidays (2018, Blue River Press) and Trick or Treats: Tales of All Hallows’ Eve (Speed City Press). She is married with three kids, three grandkids, and three pets. She thinks good things come in three. 

Tony Perona is the father half of the father/daughter Elizabeth Perona writing team that produces the Bucket List Mystery Series. Separately, Tony is the author of the Nick Bertetto myystery series, the standalone thriller The Final Mayan Prophecy (with Paul Skorich), and coe-editor and contributor to the anthologies Racing Can Be Murder, Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks, and Trick or Treats: Tales of All Hallows' Eve. Tony is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served the organization as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer. He is also a member of Sisters in Crime. His last day job before retirement was Deputy Town Manager of the Town of Plainfield. 

Elizabeth Perona is the father/daughter writing team of Tony Perona and Liz Dombrosky. Tony is the author of the Nick Bertetto mystery series, the standalone thriller The Final Mayan Prophecy (with Paul Skorich), and co-editor and contributor to the anthologies Racing Can Be Murder, Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks, and Trick or Treats: Tales of All Hallows’ Eve. Tony is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served the organization as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer. He is also a member of Sisters in Crime. Liz Dombrosky graduated from Ball State University in the Honors College with a degree in teaching. She is currently a stay-at-home mom and serves as an administrator for her church. Like her father, she is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

SpeedCitySistersInCrime.org

Middle Grade Ninja Episode 79: Speed City Sisters in Crime

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Mystery writers Lillie Evans, Tony Perona, C.L. Shore, and Janet E. Williams are all prominent members of the Speed City Sisters in Crime, which has just released its newest anthology, MURDER 20/20. We chat about how the stories in the anthology were selected, the benefits of belonging to an organization for writers, such as the Sisters in Crime, the ins and outs of writing short and long mysteries, and much, much more. We also have an extended chat about flying saucers and ghosts you won’t want to miss.

Speed City Sisters in Crime is the Indiana chapter of the world-wide mystery/crime writers' association Sisters in Crime. The Speed City chapter was founded in 2005.

Members of the organization are published mystery and crime authors, writers working on mysteries and thrillers, and readers and fans of the literary genre. There are currently 40+ members who live in Indiana or the Midwest.

Speed City Sisters in Crime hosts monthly meetings with speakers on topics of interest to mystery and crime writing. Past speakers have included police officers, prosecutors, investigative reporters, forensic specialists, weapons experts, researchers, and publishing and media professionals.

Chapter members have published 6 short story anthologies over the years with the themes that are related to Indiana or the midwest. Members of the organization have also written and produced a play, Deadbeat, which was performed at a local fringe festival and will soon be available to for others to produce.

The chapter also hosts writing and other educational workshops for its membership with well-known authors and publishing professionals.

Lillie Evans is an author, playwright, and storyteller. Under her pen name, L. Barnett Evans, she is co-author (with Crystal Rhodes) of the cozy mystery book series, Grandmothers, Incorporated. In addition to the novels, she is co-writer of the plays Stake Out and Grandmothers, Incorporated, based on the characters from the book series. The play Grandmothers, Incorporated enjoyed a very successful Off-Broadway run. Lillie is the writer and producer of the play, Take My Hand, which was chosen for a reading at the prestigious National Black Theater Festival and was performed at the 2018 OnyxFest at the Indy Fringe Theatre Festival. Lillie has appeared as a crime commentator on TV One’s “Unsung” and is a member of Sisters in Crime. See more at: lilliebarnettevans.com and grandmothersinc.com

Tony Perona is the author of the Nick Bertetto mystery series (SECOND ADVENT, ANGELS WHISPER, and SAINTLY REMAINS), the standalone thriller THE FINAL MAYAN PROPHECY, and co-editor and contributor to the anthologies RACING CAN BE MURDER and HOOSIER HOOPS AND HIJINKS. Tony is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served the organization as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer. He is also a member of Sisters-in-Crime.

C.L. Shore began reading mysteries in the second grade and has been a fan of the genre ever since. Maiden Murders (2018), a prequel to A Murder in May (2017), is her most recent release. Her short stories have appeared in several Sisters in Crime anthologies, Kings River Life Magazine, and Mysterical-E. Shore has been a member of Sisters in Crime for more than a decade, serving as a board member of the Speed City chapter for several years. A nurse practitioner and researcher, she’s published numerous articles on family coping with epilepsy as Cheryl P. Shore. Cheryl enjoys travel and entertains a fantasy of living in Ireland for a year. She’s currently working on Cherry Blossom Temple, a women’s fiction novel. See more at: clshoreonline.com

Janet E. Williams has been writing since she could hold a pencil. Her first work of fiction was a collection of stories she wrote and illustrated by hand to entertain her mom and dad. In college, she majored in English and became an award-winning journalist, covering politics and crime in Pittsburgh. When the newspaper folded, she landed in Indianapolis where she worked as both a reporter and editor at The Indianapolis Star. Today, Janet teaches young journalists as part of a college immersion program while continuing to work on her writing. She has had short stories published in four anthologies. She lives in Indianapolis and remains a faithful companion to her dog, Roxy.

The 7th anthology by the Speed City Sisters In Crime presents fresh thrills and kills in this collection of short stories that span over a decade, to the far past and the not so far off future. Another great collection by a fine group of Indiana authors. Introduction by Susan Furlong; Edited by MB Dabney, Lillie Evans, and Shari Held; Authors Andrea Smith, Janet E. Williams, J. Paul Burroughs, Ross Carley, Elizabeth Perona, D.B. Reddick, Stephen Terrell, Shari Held, T.C. Winters, Mary Ann Koontz, C.L. Shore, Hawthorn Mineart, B.K. Hart, Elizabeth San Miguel, S. Ashley Couts, Ramona G. Henderson and Diana Catt.

SpeedCitySistersInCrime.org

LillieBarnettEvans.com

ElizabethPerona.com

CLShoreonline.com

NINJA STUFF: Indy Author Fair 2017 Genre Writing Panel

Do you like a great podcast, Esteemed Reader? Me too. Especially the Kurt Vonneguys.

I've been wanting to start my own podcast, but there are only so many hours in a day. Still, it's something I may revisit when Little Ninja is older and no longer chattering and yelling in the background of every phone conversation I have:) Wouldn't it be nice to hear me chat with writers and publishing professionals through the magic of the interwebs? I think it would. One day, Esteemed Reader, one day...

Until then, you can fulfill your biggest bucket list item of hearing my melodic voice as I chat with authors during the Genre Writing Panel from Saturday, October 14, 2017 at Central Library in Indianapolis. The video didn't quite work out, but I think the audio is lovely and deserves to be shared with the world.

So if you've got to do the dishes or some other chore, why not listen to this video and hear me chat with fellow genre writers Maurice Broaddus, Sandy James, and Tony Perona, in an event sponsored by the Indiana Writers Center. It's a great discussion and if you hear me being quiet for long stretches, its because I too wanted to hear what advice such talented authors had to share.

My sincere thanks to everyone who helped to put this event together as it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. The Indiana Writers Center will be putting on more events and I hope to see you at the next one.

Maurice Broaddus is the author of the Knights of Breton Court trilogy, and has published dozens of short stories, essays, novellas and articles. He founded the Phoenix Arts Initiative, which encourages use of the arts for at-risk youth to express themselves. He teaches at the Indiana Writers Center

Sandy James has published numerous romance novels with Forever Yours and Carina Press, and is the recipient of two HOLT Medallions for excellence in that genre. Her indie-published romance novels have been Amazon #1 Bestsellers. She lives in suburban Indianapolis.

Tony Perona is the author of the Nick Bertetto mystery series (SECOND ADVENT, ANGELS WHISPER, and SAINTLY REMAINS), the standalone thriller THE FINAL MAYAN PROPHECY, and co-editor and contributor to the anthologies RACING CAN BE MURDER and HOOSIER HOOPS & HIJINKS. Tony is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served the organization as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer. He is also a member of Sisters-in-Crime.

Robert Kent is the author of numerous horror novels and stories for young people, including ALL TOGETHER NOW: A ZOMBIE STORY and BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES. His newest is the serial horror novel, THE BOOK OF DAVID. You're at his website right now. If you really want to know more about him, why not check out his bio page:)